Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
Also called: Eligibility Specialist, Eligibility Worker, Social Welfare Examiner (SWEX), Workforce Services Representative (WSR)Determine eligibility of persons applying to receive assistance from government programs and agency resources, such as welfare, unemployment benefits, social security, and public housing.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 16 of its 17 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 1.6% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 0.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 92% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.4.3 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $54,040 | $45,410 to $61,050 | 2,720 |
| Alaska | $61,840 | $53,830 to $71,240 | 400 |
| Arizona | $41,690 | $41,690 to $47,730 | 3,440 |
| Arkansas | $45,340 | $38,030 to $50,230 | 610 |
| California | $63,520 | $55,600 to $71,470 | 30,960 |
| Colorado | $58,750 | $50,370 to $64,740 | 3,140 |
| Connecticut | $71,940 | $63,500 to $78,440 | 1,250 |
| Delaware | $42,900 | $36,330 to $51,590 | 120 |
| District of Columbia | $74,080 | $66,130 to $84,520 | 640 |
| Florida | $37,230 | $36,280 to $49,590 | 5,880 |
| Georgia | $44,620 | $38,690 to $52,830 | 6,120 |
| Guam | $39,970 | $32,360 to $46,430 | 50 |
| Hawaii | $54,970 | $49,850 to $64,390 | 610 |
| Idaho | $52,670 | $45,930 to $58,050 | 240 |
| Illinois | $61,840 | $50,390 to $71,990 | 1,740 |
| Indiana | $40,160 | $37,640 to $45,700 | 3,000 |
| Iowa | $61,340 | $49,820 to $68,390 | 1,040 |
| Kansas | $49,650 | $40,810 to $61,610 | 810 |
| Kentucky | $52,020 | $46,820 to $67,230 | 1,710 |
| Louisiana | $48,260 | $39,530 to $57,400 | 740 |
| Maine | $50,860 | $47,070 to $54,970 | 620 |
| Maryland | $57,160 | $49,760 to $66,680 | 3,710 |
| Massachusetts | $64,750 | $50,660 to $73,440 | 1,700 |
| Michigan | $66,830 | $56,480 to $70,660 | 5,060 |
| Minnesota | $62,820 | $59,440 to $71,090 | 2,910 |
| Mississippi | $36,840 | $31,280 to $47,260 | 1,760 |
| Missouri | $42,850 | $38,900 to $58,300 | 4,130 |
| Montana | $59,180 | $57,020 to $60,500 | 550 |
| Nebraska | $50,320 | $42,630 to $64,110 | 220 |
| Nevada | $55,160 | $47,270 to $63,610 | not published |
| New Hampshire | $57,300 | $47,630 to $65,680 | 240 |
| New Jersey | $51,380 | $49,590 to $61,090 | 920 |
| New Mexico | $53,000 | $45,880 to $63,270 | 790 |
| New York | $53,430 | $49,660 to $65,190 | 10,220 |
| North Carolina | $47,350 | $41,110 to $50,400 | 7,740 |
| North Dakota | $51,810 | $48,310 to $59,430 | 410 |
| Ohio | $50,070 | $46,370 to $61,210 | 4,300 |
| Oklahoma | $49,090 | $40,010 to $62,690 | 520 |
| Oregon | $55,660 | $48,420 to $64,240 | 1,740 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,070 | $54,060 to $66,730 | 10,280 |
| Puerto Rico | $44,950 | $40,330 to $55,330 | 3,660 |
| Rhode Island | $64,560 | $59,900 to $72,210 | 570 |
| South Carolina | $38,670 | $35,770 to $45,520 | 1,750 |
| South Dakota | $52,350 | $50,150 to $55,930 | 470 |
| Tennessee | $49,230 | $43,010 to $55,330 | 4,060 |
| Texas | $46,860 | $44,190 to $53,930 | 12,020 |
| Utah | $52,790 | $47,000 to $60,860 | 1,960 |
| Vermont | $58,530 | $51,710 to $66,680 | 310 |
| Virgin Islands | $38,060 | $38,060 to $39,520 | 70 |
| Virginia | $50,960 | $45,500 to $61,930 | 4,290 |
| Washington | $66,330 | $59,710 to $72,550 | 3,880 |
| West Virginia | $44,150 | $39,910 to $53,140 | 250 |
| Wisconsin | $51,480 | $47,880 to $59,570 | 1,610 |
Nationally: $54,210. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 16 of its 17 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Interpret and explain information such as eligibility requirements, application details, payment methods, and applicants' legal rights. | 0.05% |
| AI alone | Initiate procedures to grant, modify, deny, or terminate assistance, or refer applicants to other agencies for assistance. | Not published |
| AI + software | Check with employers or other references to verify answers and obtain further information. | Not published |
| AI + software | Interview benefits recipients at specified intervals to certify their eligibility for continuing benefits. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compile, record, and evaluate personal and financial data to verify completeness and accuracy, and to determine eligibility status. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Answer applicants' questions about benefits and claim procedures. | 0.01% |
See all 17 tasks
| AI + software | Compute and authorize amounts of assistance for programs, such as grants, monetary payments, and food stamps. | Not published |
| AI + software | Interview and investigate applicants for public assistance to gather information pertinent to their applications. | Not published |
| AI + software | Keep records of assigned cases, and prepare required reports. | Not published |
| AI + software | Schedule benefits claimants for adjudication interviews to address questions of eligibility. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide applicants with assistance in completing application forms, such as those for job referrals or unemployment compensation claims. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Refer applicants to job openings or to interviews with other staff, in accordance with administrative guidelines or office procedures. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide social workers with pertinent information gathered during applicant interviews. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare applications and forms for applicants for such purposes as school enrollment, employment, and medical services. | Not published |
| AI + software | Investigate claimants for the possibility of fraud or abuse. | Not published |
| AI + software | Monitor the payments of benefits throughout the duration of a claim. | Not published |
| AI + software | Conduct annual, interim, and special housing reviews and home visits to ensure conformance to regulations. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 4 of the 17 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 17 tasks fall under 14 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #12 Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
- #22 Investigate individuals' background, behavior, or activities
- #24 Assist others to access additional services or resources
- and 2 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Interview people to obtain information | |||
| Collect data about consumer needs or opinions | |||
| Investigate individuals' background, behavior, or activities | |||
| Assist others to access additional services or resources | |||
| Compile records, documentation, or other data | |||
| Calculate financial data | |||
| Assist individuals with paperwork |
Show all 14 activities
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Schedule appointments | |||
| Monitor financial data or activities | |||
| Perform recruiting or hiring activities | |||
| Record information about legal matters |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer47%
- Advice or a recommendation18%
- A document or report9%
- An analysis or summary8%
- An email or message7%
How they worked with Claude
20% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for eligibility interviewers, government programs specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 23,102 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
- 4 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
- 5 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 22,902 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 10%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 4%
- 4 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 3%
- 5 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 26% high school
- 19% some college
- 24% associate's
- 24% bachelor's
- 7% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 29 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% less than high school
- 12% high school
- 29% some college
- 16% associate's
- 33% bachelor's
- 8% master's
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 854 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Community Organization and Advocacy.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
29.1% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/43-4061.00