upper level job

Data Processing Specialist I Salary in the United States

How much does a Data Processing Specialist I make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Data Processing Specialist I in the United States is $44,280 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $21.

However, a Data Processing Specialist I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $55,685
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $40,950 to $50,250
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $37,918
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
AI-Powered Talent
Recruit with AI
View as table View as graph 25% $40,950 10% $37,918 90% $55,685 75% $50,250 $44,280 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Data Processing Specialist I Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $50,250 $4,188 $966 $24
Average $44,280 $3,690 $852 $21
25th Percentile $40,950 $3,413 $788 $20
Check out Data Processing Specialist I Job Openings in the United States
Data Specialist

Careers Integrated Resources Inc - Columbus, OH

Data Entry Specialist

Safe and Secure Healthcare - Columbus, OH

Medical Records Data Entry Specialist

Visa Boards - Columbus, OH

HRO TotalSource

Automatic Data Processing - Columbus, OH

Search More Data Processing Specialist I Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Data Processing Specialist I Salaries

A Data Processing Specialist I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Data Processing Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Data Processing Specialist I's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Data Processing Specialist I (0-1 years): $44,278
  • Back-End Data Processing Specialist II (1-3 years): $48,036
  • Back-End Data Processing Specialist III (3-5 years): $53,799
  • Back-End Data Processing Specialist IV (5-7 years): $62,022
  • Back-End Data Processing Supervisor (7+ years): $83,880
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Data Processing Specialist I0-1 years$44,278
Back-End Data Processing Specialist II1-3 years$48,036
Back-End Data Processing Specialist III3-5 years$53,799
Back-End Data Processing Specialist IV5-7 years$62,022
Back-End Data Processing Supervisor7+ years$83,880
$44,278 Data Proc...
$48,036 Back-End ...
$53,799 Back-End ...
$62,022 Back-End ...
$83,880 Back-End ...
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Data Processing Specialist Is

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $55,850
  • San Francisco: $55,240
  • Oakland: $54,080

What Skills Can Increase a Data Processing Specialist I's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Process Improvement (Mentioned in 6.05% Job Postings): Analyzing and improving existing processes and workflows to minimize process errors and streamline organizational efficiency.
  • Data Analytics (Mentioned in 1.71% Job Postings): Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a role in making decisions more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes, while business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation, focusing mainly on business information. In statistical applications, data analysis can be divided into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data while CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical models for predictive forecasting or classification, while text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All of the above are varieties of data analysis.
  • Collective Bargaining (Mentioned in 1.2% Job Postings): Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers. The interests of the employees are commonly presented by representatives of a trade union to which the employees belong. The collective agreements reached by these negotiations usually set out wage scales, working hours, training, health and safety, overtime, grievance mechanisms, and rights to participate in workplace or company affairs. The union may negotiate with a single employer (who is typically representing a company's shareholders) or may negotiate with a group of businesses, depending on the country, to reach an industry-wide agreement. A collective agreement functions as a labour contract between an employer and one or more unions. Collective bargaining consists of the process of negotiation between representatives of a union and employers (generally represented by management, or, in some countries such as Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands, by an employers' organization) in respect of the terms and conditions of employment of employees, such as wages, hours of work, working conditions, grievance procedures, and about the rights and responsibilities of trade unions. The parties often refer to the result of the negotiation as a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) or as a collective employment agreement (CEA).
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Process Improvement 6.05%
Data Analytics 1.71%
Collective Bargaining 1.2%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Data Processing Specialist I's salary.
  • Change Management: Can increase your salary by up to 32%.
  • Data Analytics: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
  • SOP: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Change Management
$58,450
32%
Data Analytics
$51,808
17%
SOP
$51,365
16%
Project Management
$50,479
14%
Business Analysis
$50,479
14%
Process Improvement
$50,036
13%
Get Latest Data

Data Processing Specialist I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Data Processing Specialist I salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $49,569. While startup companies pay approximate $41,934.

Data Processing Specialist I Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup1~50$41,934
Growth Stage51~500$44,350
Established501~5000$47,868
Enterprise5000+$49,569

Data Processing Specialist I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Data Processing Specialist I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Data Processing Specialist positions in Transportation or Telecom typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Data Processing Specialist I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Data Processing Specialist I

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$53,136$26.020%
Biotechnology$53,136$26.020%
Business Services$53,136$26.020%
Chemicals$53,136$26.020%
Construction$53,136$26.020%

Data Processing Specialist I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Data Processing Specialist I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

Data Processing Specialist I Salary Growth & Career Path

Promotions are the fastest way to increase your earnings. As a Data Processing Specialist I, you have the following paths for advancement. The table below compares the salary raises for common next-step roles. By comparing these figures, you can choose the career path that best meets your financial goals.

Data Processing Specialist I Salary Growth and Career Path
Next Step Role Estimate Salary Projected Raise
Data Entry Support II $50,200 13%
Data Entry and Processing Clerk II $43,700 -1%
Back-End Data Processing Specialist II $48,100 9%

Salary Trends for Data Processing Specialist I

Salaries for a Data Processing Specialist I can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $52,519 in 2023 to around $52,078 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Data Processing Specialist I salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Data Processing Specialist I Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$52,519
2024
$52,654
2025
$52,078
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $52,519
2024 $52,654
2025 $52,078
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Data Processing Specialist I

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Common company salaries for Data Processing Specialist I

Here are companies hiring for Data Processing Specialist I and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Data Processing Specialist I Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Data Processing Specialist I job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • MD Staff, LLC

    Columbus, OH

    MD Staff, LLC | Columbus, OH

    Emergency Medicine Physician Needed near Columbus, Ohio. An excellent opportunity for a full-time EM Physician to join an Emergency Department team near Co... more

    5 Days Ago

  • eviCore healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    eviCore healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Provides timely expert medical review for requests to evaluate the medical necessity of services that do not meet utilization review criteria while located... more

    5 Days Ago

  • MD Staff, LLC

    Columbus, OH

    MD Staff, LLC | Columbus, OH

    Neurologist Locum Tenens Opportunity Near Columbus, OH. We are excited to offer a rewarding locum tenens opportunity for a Board Certified or Board Eligibl... more

    5 Days Ago

  • C.R. England

    Columbus, OH

    C.R. England | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. C.R. England is Now Urgently Hiring Local Dedicated CDL-A Truck Drivers. Dedicated Local Fleet - Home Daily - Competitive Pay* - Full Bene... more

    11 Days Ago

  • Maxim Healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    Maxim Healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Private duty nursing (PDN) allows medically fragile patients to receive quality, skilled nursing care in the comfort of their home: a setting preferred by ... more

    13 Days Ago

  • Schneider

    Columbus, OH

    Schneider | Columbus, OH

    CDL-A - Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Average pay. $1,200-$1,450 weekly. Home time. Daily. Experience. Al... more

    14 Days Ago

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

FAQ about Data Processing Specialist I

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Data Processing Specialist I?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Data Processing Specialist I roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst