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Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs

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Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs: Career Profile

Determine eligibility of persons applying to receive assistance from government programs and agency resources, such as welfare, unemployment benefits, social security, and public housing.

What Do Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Do?

Typical responsibilities of eligibility interviewers, government programs span:

  • Compute and authorize amounts of assistance for programs, such as grants, monetary payments, and food stamps.
  • Keep records of assigned cases, and prepare required reports.
  • Compile, record, and evaluate personal and financial data to verify completeness and accuracy, and to determine eligibility status.
  • Interview and investigate applicants for public assistance to gather information pertinent to their applications.
  • Interview benefits recipients at specified intervals to certify their eligibility for continuing benefits.
  • Interpret and explain information such as eligibility requirements, application details, payment methods, and applicants' legal rights.
  • Initiate procedures to grant, modify, deny, or terminate assistance, or refer applicants to other agencies for assistance.
  • Check with employers or other references to verify answers and obtain further information.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Successful eligibility interviewers, government programs draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Speaking  4.2 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  4.0 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  3.9 / 5
0
5
Social Perceptiveness  3.8 / 5
0
5
Writing  3.8 / 5
0
5
Service Orientation  3.6 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Customer and Personal Service  4.9 / 5
0
5
English Language  4.4 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.8 / 5
0
5
Administrative  3.8 / 5
0
5
Personnel and Human Resources  3.5 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  3.4 / 5
0
5

People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:

  • Authorization Specialist
  • Benefits Program Tech (Benefits Program Technician)
  • Business Employment Specialist
  • Business and Employment Specialist
  • Case Coordinator
  • Case Manager
  • Case Technician (Case Tech)
  • Cash Application Clerk

How Many Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Are There?

The U.S. employs around 653,202 eligibility interviewers, government programs working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +7.0% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs

Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Pay

Statistic Value
Annual median $34,061
Hourly median $16.38
10th percentile $24,021
25th percentile $29,041
75th percentile $39,081
90th percentile $44,101

Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs

Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary by State

State Annual median salary
District of Columbia $75,050
Michigan $64,020
Connecticut $64,010
Washington $62,900
Rhode Island $62,680
California $61,680
Minnesota $60,330
Iowa $60,300
Montana $59,780
Alaska $58,570
Massachusetts $58,550
Illinois $57,450
Pennsylvania $56,600
New Hampshire $56,180
Maryland $55,910
Colorado $54,320
Nevada $53,560
Vermont $52,620
Hawaii $52,360
New Jersey $52,010
New York $51,810
Alabama $51,720
Wyoming $51,540
Idaho $50,980
New Mexico $50,960
Virginia $50,930
Oregon $50,780
South Dakota $50,650
Wisconsin $50,420
North Dakota $49,730
Oklahoma $49,610
Utah $49,000
Kentucky $49,000
Ohio $48,100
West Virginia $47,530
Delaware $47,000
Maine $46,590
North Carolina $46,330
Kansas $46,300
Tennessee $46,160
Nebraska $44,530
Puerto Rico $44,120
Arkansas $44,120
Texas $43,660
Louisiana $43,480
Missouri $42,310
Georgia $42,110
Arizona $41,690
Guam $40,440
Indiana $39,030
Mississippi $37,980
South Carolina $37,550
Florida $36,170

Top-Paying U.S. Regions

Earnings for eligibility interviewers, government programs differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Far Western US $60,970 23.6% 1.53
New England $58,747 3.5% 0.86
Middle Atlantic $54,889 15.8% 1.30
Rocky Mountains $52,814 4.1% 1.12
Great Lakes $51,953 10.1% 0.86
Plains States $50,005 6.3% 1.14
Southeast $44,197 22.6% 1.07
Other U.S. Territories $44,079 2.3% 3.76

Where the Jobs Cluster

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $95,060 1,180
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $80,260 2,770
Madison, WI WI $75,540 220
Salinas, CA CA $72,810 340
New Haven, CT CT $71,420 170
Vallejo, CA CA $71,360 110
Battle Creek, MI MI $67,290 50
Bay City, MI MI $67,290 50

Which Industries Hire Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs

The bulk of eligibility interviewers, government programs are found across these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Health Care and Social Assistance 6,990 $46,690
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 3,140 $49,980
Management of Companies and Enterprises 740 $53,250
Educational Services 530 $50,670
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 420 $47,810
Other Services (except Public Administration) 390 $43,970
Finance and Insurance 350 $48,370
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs sectors

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs industries

Tech Stack

  • Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
  • Video conferencing software: Zoom (hot technology)

What the Workplace Is Like

Daily working conditions for eligibility interviewers, government programs is shaped by the following characteristics:

  • E-Mail
  • Telephone Conversations
  • Spend Time Sitting
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
  • Contact With Others

Getting Started in This Career

Entry-level eligibility interviewers, government programs positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

About the Data

This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 43-4061.00 (Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs).

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