Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for eligibility interviewers, government programs in the U.S. is $54,210 ($26.06 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $54,210
- Mean annual wage
- $56,090
- Median hourly wage
- $26.06
- Employment
- 154,800
154,800 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,900 | $18.70 |
| 25th percentile | $45,910 | $22.07 |
| Median (50th) | $54,210 | $26.06 |
| 75th percentile | $63,610 | $30.58 |
| 90th percentile | $74,690 | $35.91 |
Highest-paying states for eligibility interviewers, government programs
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $74,080 | 640 |
| Connecticut | $71,940 | 1,250 |
| Michigan | $66,830 | 5,060 |
| Washington | $66,330 | 3,880 |
| Massachusetts | $64,750 | 1,700 |
| Rhode Island | $64,560 | 570 |
| California | $63,520 | 30,960 |
| Minnesota | $62,820 | 2,910 |
| Alaska | $61,840 | 400 |
| Illinois | $61,840 | 1,740 |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $36,840 median annual wage
- Florida: $37,230 median annual wage
- South Carolina: $38,670 median annual wage
- Indiana: $40,160 median annual wage
- Arizona: $41,690 median annual wage
About this occupation
Determine eligibility of persons applying to receive assistance from government programs and agency resources, such as welfare, unemployment benefits, social security, and public housing.
Typical tasks
- Interview and investigate applicants for public assistance to gather information pertinent to their applications.
- 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.
- Provide social workers with pertinent information gathered during applicant interviews.
- Refer applicants to job openings or to interviews with other staff, in accordance with administrative guidelines or office procedures.
- Compile, record, and evaluate personal and financial data to verify completeness and accuracy, and to determine eligibility status.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 1.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 13.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 22.8% |
| Associate's degree | 16.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 35.4% |
| Master's degree | 10.0% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 1.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.