Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 43-4061 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$54,205
$26.06/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs is $54,205 per year ($26.06/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $45,906 and $63,606 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $74,693 per year. There are approximately 154,800 eligibility interviewers, government programs employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Determine eligibility of persons applying to receive assistance from government programs and agency resources, such as welfare, unemployment benefits, social security, and public housing.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.0%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
14K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
167K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
1% from new growth99% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
56K
$50,670
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
55K
$58,790
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
31K
$59,610
Individual and Family Services
NAICS 624100
3K
$47,720
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
2K
$52,070
Wage range across top 5 industries: $47,720 to $59,610 (25% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$18.70
$38,896
P25
$22.07
$45,906
P50MEDIAN
$26.06
$54,205
P75
$30.58
$63,606
P90
$35.91
$74,693
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average eligibility interviewers, government programs salary?
The national median salary for Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs is $54,205 per year ($26.06/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $45,906 and $63,606 annually.
How much do top-earning eligibility interviewers, government programs make?
The 90th percentile salary for Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs is $74,693 per year ($35.91/hr). The 75th percentile is $63,606 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for eligibility interviewers, government programs?
Entry-level Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs (10th percentile) earn approximately $38,896 per year ($18.70/hr). The 25th percentile is $45,906 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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