Pay by state · 53 areas
Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs Salary by State (2026)
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs earn the most in District of Columbia at $74,080 a year and the least in Mississippi at $36,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $54,210. The table below covers 49 states, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $74,080District of Columbia
- National median
- $54,210BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $36,840Mississippi
- Areas reporting
- 53of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for eligibility interviewers, government programs
Ranked on the state median among the 49 reporting states and DC. After cost of living, Iowa comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1District of Columbia$74,080
- 2Connecticut$71,940
- 3Michigan$66,830
- 4Washington$66,330
- 5Massachusetts$64,750
Lowest median pay
- 1Mississippi$36,840
- 2Florida$37,230
- 3South Carolina$38,670
- 4Indiana$40,160
- 5Arizona$41,690
All states
Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of eligibility interviewers, government programs OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $74,080 | $66,130 | $84,520 | 640 | $67,406 |
| 2 | CTConnecticut | $71,940 | $63,500 | $78,440 | 1,250 | $69,433 |
| 3 | MIMichigan | $66,830 | $56,480 | $70,660 | 5,060 | $69,458 |
| 4 | WAWashington | $66,330 | $59,710 | $72,550 | 3,880 | $61,983 |
| 5 | MAMassachusetts | $64,750 | $50,660 | $73,440 | 1,700 | $61,225 |
| 6 | RIRhode Island | $64,560 | $59,900 | $72,210 | 570 | $63,121 |
| 7 | CACalifornia | $63,520 | $55,600 | $71,470 | 30,960 | $57,370 |
| 8 | MNMinnesota | $62,820 | $59,440 | $71,090 | 2,910 | $63,698 |
| 9 | AKAlaska | $61,840 | $53,830 | $71,240 | 400 | $60,415 |
| 10 | ILIllinois | $61,840 | $50,390 | $71,990 | 1,740 | $61,866 |
| 11 | IAIowa | $61,340 | $49,820 | $68,390 | 1,040 | $69,894 |
| 12 | MTMontana | $59,180 | $57,020 | $60,500 | 550 | $62,528 |
| 13 | PAPennsylvania | $59,070 | $54,060 | $66,730 | 10,280 | $60,540 |
| 14 | COColorado | $58,750 | $50,370 | $64,740 | 3,140 | $57,010 |
| 15 | VTVermont | $58,530 | $51,710 | $66,680 | 310 | $59,750 |
| 16 | NHNew Hampshire | $57,300 | $47,630 | $65,680 | 240 | $55,009 |
| 17 | MDMaryland | $57,160 | $49,760 | $66,680 | 3,710 | $54,459 |
| 18 | OROregon | $55,660 | $48,420 | $64,240 | 1,740 | $53,850 |
| 19 | NVNevada | $55,160 | $47,270 | $63,610 | N/A | $55,172 |
| 20 | HIHawaii | $54,970 | $49,850 | $64,390 | 610 | $49,995 |
| 21 | ALAlabama | $54,040 | $45,410 | $61,050 | 2,720 | $60,840 |
| 22 | NYNew York | $53,430 | $49,660 | $65,190 | 10,220 | $49,508 |
| 23 | NMNew Mexico | $53,000 | $45,880 | $63,270 | 790 | $57,476 |
| 24 | UTUtah | $52,790 | $47,000 | $60,860 | 1,960 | $53,397 |
| 25 | IDIdaho | $52,670 | $45,930 | $58,050 | 240 | $55,155 |
| 26 | SDSouth Dakota | $52,350 | $50,150 | $55,930 | 470 | $59,095 |
| 27 | KYKentucky | $52,020 | $46,820 | $67,230 | 1,710 | $57,698 |
| 28 | NDNorth Dakota | $51,810 | $48,310 | $59,430 | 410 | $58,240 |
| 29 | WIWisconsin | $51,480 | $47,880 | $59,570 | 1,610 | $54,711 |
| 30 | NJNew Jersey | $51,380 | $49,590 | $61,090 | 920 | $47,222 |
| 31 | VAVirginia | $50,960 | $45,500 | $61,930 | 4,290 | $50,404 |
| 32 | MEMaine | $50,860 | $47,070 | $54,970 | 620 | $52,406 |
| 33 | NENebraska | $50,320 | $42,630 | $64,110 | 220 | $55,847 |
| 34 | OHOhio | $50,070 | $46,370 | $61,210 | 4,300 | $53,970 |
| 35 | KSKansas | $49,650 | $40,810 | $61,610 | 810 | $55,125 |
| 36 | TNTennessee | $49,230 | $43,010 | $55,330 | 4,060 | $53,587 |
| 37 | OKOklahoma | $49,090 | $40,010 | $62,690 | 520 | $55,884 |
| 38 | LALouisiana | $48,260 | $39,530 | $57,400 | 740 | $54,712 |
| 39 | NCNorth Carolina | $47,350 | $41,110 | $50,400 | 7,740 | $50,198 |
| 40 | TXTexas | $46,860 | $44,190 | $53,930 | 12,020 | $48,281 |
| 41 | ARArkansas | $45,340 | $38,030 | $50,230 | 610 | $52,153 |
| 42 | PRPuerto Rico | $44,950 | $40,330 | $55,330 | 3,660 | N/A |
| 43 | GAGeorgia | $44,620 | $38,690 | $52,830 | 6,120 | $46,338 |
| 44 | WVWest Virginia | $44,150 | $39,910 | $53,140 | 250 | $49,331 |
| 45 | DEDelaware | $42,900 | $36,330 | $51,590 | 120 | $42,983 |
| 46 | MOMissouri | $42,850 | $38,900 | $58,300 | 4,130 | $47,183 |
| 47 | AZArizona | $41,690 | $41,690 | $47,730 | 3,440 | $41,410 |
| 48 | INIndiana | $40,160 | $37,640 | $45,700 | 3,000 | $43,031 |
| 49 | GUGuam | $39,970 | $32,360 | $46,430 | 50 | N/A |
| 50 | SCSouth Carolina | $38,670 | $35,770 | $45,520 | 1,750 | $41,248 |
| 51 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $38,060 | $38,060 | $39,520 | 70 | N/A |
| 52 | FLFlorida | $37,230 | $36,280 | $49,590 | 5,880 | $36,001 |
| 53 | MSMississippi | $36,840 | $31,280 | $47,260 | 1,760 | $42,368 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For eligibility interviewers, government programs, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $74,080, while Iowa leads once prices are taken into account at $69,894.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays eligibility interviewers, government programs the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for eligibility interviewers, government programs at $74,080 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Connecticut ($71,940) and Michigan ($66,830).
Which state pays eligibility interviewers, government programs the least?
Among the 49 reporting states and DC, Mississippi reports the lowest median for eligibility interviewers, government programs at $36,840 a year, $37,240 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Puerto Rico reports $44,950, Guam reports $39,970 and U.S. Virgin Islands reports $38,060.
Is the highest-paying state the best for eligibility interviewers, government programs after cost of living?
Not on this data. District of Columbia pays the most on paper ($74,080) but ranks 4th of 50 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($67,406). Iowa leads after that adjustment at $69,894, from a raw median of $61,340. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.