State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs earn a median of $54,210 per year ($26.06/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 1.0% through 2034, with about 14,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 43-4061Office and Administrative SupportLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $54,210
- Projected growth
- +1.0%
- Openings a year
- 14,000
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Benefits Program Tech (Benefits Program Technician), Business and Employment Specialist, Case Manager, Eligibility Examiner, Eligibility Specialist, Eligibility Worker.
How much do Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs make?
10th percentile$38,900
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$45,910
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$54,210
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$63,610
Upper quartile
90th percentile$74,690
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $54,210 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $26.06/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $56,090 |
| People employed | 154,800 |
Versus all US occupations
At $54,210, Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs earn 6% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $3,230 a year.
Versus office and administrative support occupations
Inside the Office and Administrative Support group, where the middle occupation pays $48,500, this is 12% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $74,690 or more while the bottom 10% earn $38,900, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 35% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($74,080), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $69,894 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $74,080 | $67,406 | 640 |
| Connecticut | $71,940 | $69,433 | 1,250 |
| Michigan | $66,830 | $69,458 | 5,060 |
| Washington | $66,330 | $61,983 | 3,880 |
| Massachusetts | $64,750 | $61,225 | 1,700 |
| Rhode Island | $64,560 | $63,121 | 570 |
| California | $63,520 | $57,370 | 30,960 |
| Minnesota | $62,820 | $63,698 | 2,910 |
| Alaska | $61,840 | $60,415 | 400 |
| Illinois | $61,840 | $61,866 | 1,740 |
Is Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs a growing career?
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs1.0%
All US occupations3.1%
+1.0% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs to change 1.0% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 1,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,000 openings are projected each year, 8.4% of the 166,800 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of information clerks is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of information clerks varies by occupation (see table).
The increased use of online ordering and self-service systems will limit demand for some of these workers, such as order clerks and human resources assistants.
How to become an Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs
Information clerks typically need a high school diploma and learn their skills on the job.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as eligibility interviewers, government programs.
- High School Diploma25.6%
- Bachelor's Degree24.2%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)23.6%
- Some College Courses19.4%
- Master's Degree7.2%
What does an Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs do?
Determine eligibility of persons applying to receive assistance from government programs and agency resources, such as welfare, unemployment benefits, social security, and public housing.
Information clerks do routine clerical tasks such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.
Day-to-day tasks
- Initiate procedures to grant, modify, deny, or terminate assistance, or refer applicants to other agencies for assistance.
- Interpret and explain information such as eligibility requirements, application details, payment methods, and applicants' legal rights.
- Check with employers or other references to verify answers and obtain further information.
- Answer applicants' questions about benefits and claim procedures.
- Interview benefits recipients at specified intervals to certify their eligibility for continuing benefits.
- 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.
- Keep records of assigned cases, and prepare required reports.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Speaking4.3/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.9/5
- Writing3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.5/5
- Active Learning3.1/5
- Monitoring3.1/5
- Learning Strategies2.5/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.8/5
- Service Orientation3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1/5
- Negotiation3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Persuasion2.9/5
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video conferencing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base reporting software
- Data compression software
- Document management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.0
Investigative2.5
Artistic1.0
Socialprimary4.5
Enterprisingprimary3.9
Conventionalprimary6.3
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs: frequently asked questions
How much do Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs make?
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs earn a median of $54,210 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 6% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $26.06/hr. The middle half earn between $45,910 and $63,610. The top 10% earn $74,690 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 25.6% hold high school diploma.
Is Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.0% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 14,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs do?
Information clerks do routine clerical tasks such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers. A core O*NET task: initiate procedures to grant, modify, deny, or terminate assistance, or refer applicants to other agencies for assistance. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs the most?
The highest state medians for Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs are District of Columbia ($74,080), Connecticut ($71,940), Michigan ($66,830) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $69,894.
What personality type suits an Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs?
O*NET scores Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs highest on the Conventional, Social and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.