Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Career, Salary and Skills
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $54,210 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 154,800. Wage data is published for 365 locations.
Occupation description
Determine eligibility of persons applying to receive assistance from government programs and agency resources, such as welfare, unemployment benefits, social security, and public housing.
O*NET code
43-4061.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$54,210
Hourly median
$26.06
Employment
154,800
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.25 | 4.25 |
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Writing | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Service Orientation | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Monitoring | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Active Learning | 3.12 | 3.25 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Compute and authorize amounts of assistance for programs, such as grants, monetary payments, and food stamps.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Client assessment software
- Corel WinZip
- Email software
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
- Google Meet
- Medicaid management information system MMIS
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in CAMedian $63,520 · Employment 30,960
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $63,520 · Employment 15,160
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in TXMedian $46,860 · Employment 12,020
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in PAMedian $59,070 · Employment 10,280
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in NYMedian $53,430 · Employment 10,220
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in NCMedian $47,350 · Employment 7,740
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in New York, NYMedian $52,980 · Employment 6,920
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in GAMedian $44,620 · Employment 6,120
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in FLMedian $37,230 · Employment 5,880
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in MIMedian $66,830 · Employment 5,060
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in Philadelphia, PAMedian $60,960 · Employment 4,620
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in Atlanta, GAMedian $47,530 · Employment 4,380
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.