Interviewers typically conduct questionnaires of patients, customers, or applicants for government benefits (eligibility interviewers). Training requirements are minimal, and certain types of interviewers make a good salary.
There are hundreds of thousands of interviewer jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 118,920 eligibility interviewers in May of 2010. This type of interviewer questions applicants for programs like social security and welfare. As seen below, these jobs offer the highest average salary.
Loan interviewers comprise the second largest type. Most of these workers are employed by banks, credit unions, and similar financial institutions. The BLS found that there were 181,600 of these jobs.
An even larger group is comprised of other interviewers that do not handle eligibility and loan applicants. There were 204,730 of these interviewer jobs. These jobs exist in larger numbers at hospitals/medical clinics and colleges and universities. An example would be the person who helps incoming patients fill out their forms. Businesses also hire tens of thousands of these interviewers. State governments are also pretty big employers of non-eligibility interviewers. For example, offices issuing state licenses often need interviewers to assist those filling out complicated paperwork.
All together, that means that there are close to 500,000 interviewer jobs in the United States.
In terms of salary, the Bureau of Labor Statistics study showed that the general group – a median annual salary of about $29,000 – had the lowest income average. Loan interviewers and clerks made an average income of about $33,000. That was the second highest average.
The best jobs for interviewers in terms of salary are the eligibility interview jobs. These paid a median yearly salary of almost $40,000.
For those that enjoy this kind of work, then, it is fair to say that one goal could be to work up to the better jobs with the Social Security Administration and other federal programs.
High school graduates often qualify for these jobs with no outside training. However, any college education would be helpful to differentiate applicants. It may also be helpful to get work in a call center. There is a high turnover rate for this kind of high-pressure, stressful sales job, but it will add related experience to your resume and may assist in getting an interviewer job.
Resources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Eligibility Interviewer Jobs and Salary
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loans
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Loan Interviewer and Clerk Jobs and Salary