Office and administrative support
Eligibility interviewers, government programs
Determine eligibility of persons applying to receive assistance from government programs and agency resources, such as welfare, unemployment benefits, social security, and public housing.
Median pay
$54,210
Growth to 2035
+2%
little or no change
Openings a year
12,700
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Eligibility interviewers, government programs
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to eligibility interviewers, government programs
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Eligibility interviewers, government programs: 3% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
Also called: Benefits Program Tech (Benefits Program Technician) · Business and Employment Specialist · Case Manager · Eligibility Examiner · Eligibility Specialist · Eligibility Worker · Program Eligibility Specialist · Social Welfare Examiner (SWEX)
Outlook and AI
Eligibility interviewers, government programs held 162,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 165,300 by 2035 (+2%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Eligibility interviewers, government programs vs. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping
- Eligibility interviewers, government programs vs. Human resources specialist
- Eligibility interviewers, government programs vs. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Eligibility interviewers, government programs vs. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
- Eligibility interviewers, government programs vs. Social and community service managers
- Eligibility interviewers, government programs vs. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Eligibility interviewers, government programs vs. Compliance officer
- Eligibility interviewers, government programs vs. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Eligibility interviewers, government programs vs. Health technologists and technicians, all other
- Eligibility interviewers, government programs vs. Social worker