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Career

Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure

What they do

Interview persons by telephone, mail, in person, or by other means for the purpose of completing forms, applications, or questionnaires. Ask specific questions, record answers, and assist persons with completing form. May sort, classify, and file forms.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $45,920 Median per year · $22.08/hr Most earn $33,900–$62,810

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Locate and list addresses and households.
  • Prepare reports to provide answers in response to specific problems.
  • Collect and analyze data, such as studying old records, tallying the number of outpatients entering each day or week, or participating in federal, state, or local population surveys as a Census Enumerator.
  • Meet with supervisor daily to submit completed assignments and discuss progress.
  • Contact individuals to be interviewed at home, place of business, or field location, by telephone, mail, or in person.
  • Ask questions in accordance with instructions to obtain various specified information, such as person's name, address, age, religious preference, or state of residency.

Job outlook

United States
10% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 13,200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • General medical and surgical hospitals40.5%
  • Offices of physicians8.1%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools6.7%
  • Management of companies and enterprises2.8%
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services2.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Interviewer is usually an entry-level job. Most people start with a high school diploma, short office training, and about 1 to 2 years of clerical or front-desk work before moving into interviewing.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build reading, writing, math, and computer skills, since interviewers record answers accurately and help people fill out forms.

  2. Certificate or on-the-job training in office skills

    Several months

    Short training in typing, data entry, and office software gives you the basics employers look for before you handle public forms.

  3. Office Clerk, General

    1-2 years

    Working as a clerk teaches you to sort, file, and handle paperwork and customer questions, which are the everyday tasks of an interviewer.

  4. Interviewer, Except Eligibility and Loan

    Ongoing

    You interview people by phone, mail, or in person, ask set questions, record answers, and help them complete applications or questionnaires.

Where it can lead

  1. Eligibility Interviewer, Government Programs

    1-2 years of experience first

    You focus on checking whether people qualify for public assistance programs, which usually calls for more formal training, often an associate degree.

  2. Patient Representative

    2-4 years of experience first

    You help patients and families with billing, complaints, and access to care in a hospital or clinic, which builds on strong interviewing and customer skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take typing, computer, and business classesThese classes build the keyboarding and software skills that interviewing jobs use every day.
  • Join a student club like DECA, FBLA, or a student councilLeading meetings and speaking with adults builds the communication skills interviewers need.
  • Get a part-time job or volunteer at a front deskGreeting people and handling questions gives you real customer service experience to list on applications.
  • Volunteer at a community center or food bank intake deskHelping people fill out forms shows you can explain paperwork patiently and accurately.
  • Practice clear writing and speakingStrong communication helps you ask questions clearly and record answers correctly.

In college

  • Take courses in office administration, business communication, or public administrationThese classes teach record keeping, procedures, and how public forms and programs work.
  • Earn a certificate in office administration or data entry if your school offers oneA short certificate shows employers you already know the office tools and basics this job needs.
  • Take a part-time campus job in an office, registrar, financial aid, or student services deskCampus jobs that help students fill out forms are very close to what interviewers do.
  • Build typing speed and accuracyFast, accurate data entry is a core skill for recording answers during interviews.
  • Get an internship or work-study job in a government or social service office if one is availableSeeing how applications and eligibility questions are handled gives you a real head start.

Tips for getting started

  • Practice typing and learn spreadsheet and word processing software, since most interviewing jobs involve computer data entry.
  • Get comfortable talking with people you don't know, because you will ask questions and explain forms to people who may be stressed.
  • Look for part-time or summer work at a front desk, store, or office to build the experience employers ask for.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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