# Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs

US SOC code 43-4061. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/43-4061

Also called: Eligibility interviewer, Benefits eligibility specialist, SNAP eligibility interviewer, Eligibility specialist, Benefits caseworker.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **154,800** US government programs eligibility interviewers, with median pay of **$54,210** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **156,260**, in May 2024, close to the May 2025 count. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/great-depression/american-social-policy-in-the-great-depression-and-wwii/) of **45,000** from 1936, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for government programs eligibility interviewers: Online applications + call-center eligibility models, 2004 to 2015.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 1.6% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=43-4061&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **62%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1935
- Latest US employment: 154,800 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $54,210 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [8]
- Outlook: +1.6% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [18]

### All 29 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1936 | 45,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Social Welfare History Project [1] |
| 1960 | n/a | $4,200 (estimate) | Est., Social Welfare History Project [6] |
| 1965 | 95,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., SSA Social Security Bulletin [2] |
| 1975 | 140,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NCBI Bookshelf [3] |
| 1997 | 150,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [4] |
| 2000 | n/a | $28,500 (estimate) | Est., BLS OES 2000 [7] |
| 2003 | 89,410 | $33,000 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 93,250 | $33,110 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 85,550 | $33,740 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 106,210 | $37,540 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 107,220 | $39,110 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 112,510 | $39,310 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 110,850 | $40,180 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 118,920 | $39,960 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 120,610 | $41,060 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 130,340 | $40,530 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 123,920 | $41,900 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 122,400 | $42,200 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 130,420 | $43,170 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 135,940 | $43,350 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 140,590 | $44,400 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 137,830 | $46,020 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 139,780 | $46,590 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 138,820 | $47,110 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 151,340 | $47,420 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 149,760 | $49,230 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 150,190 | $50,270 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 156,260 | $51,500 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 154,800 | $54,210 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (78)

### Employment series

1. [Social Welfare History Project -- "American Social Policy in the Great Depression and WWII" (social worker workforce doubled 30,000 to 60,000 during 1930s)](https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/great-depression/american-social-policy-in-the-great-depression-and-wwii/), Social Welfare History Project / VCU Libraries
2. [SSA Social Security Bulletin -- "Economic Security, 1935-46" and Social Security program history (program scale at Medicaid enactment)](https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v48n12/v48n12p5.pdf), Social Security Administration
3. [NCBI Bookshelf -- "Trends in the Welfare System" (AFDC participation doubled 1960-1970; food stamp expansion to all counties by 1974)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK230339/), National Academy Press / NCBI Bookshelf
4. [Wikipedia -- Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (1996 welfare reform: AFDC to TANF, new work requirements and eligibility changes)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Responsibility_and_Work_Opportunity_Act), Wikipedia
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

6. [Social Welfare History Project -- "American Social Policy in the 1960s and 1970s" (public welfare worker wages and conditions)](https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/war-on-poverty/american-social-policy-in-the-60s-and-70s/), Social Welfare History Project / VCU Libraries
7. [BLS OES 2000 -- State Government Information Clerks (approximate median for eligibility worker category at 2000 SOC introduction)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2000/oes434061.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
8. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

9. [Social Security Act (1935) -- National Archives (established state public assistance programs requiring eligibility determination staff)](https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/social-security-act), National Archives
10. [Social Welfare History Project -- "American Social Policy in the Great Depression and WWII" (casework methods and paper-based record systems in 1930s-40s welfare offices)](https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/great-depression/american-social-policy-in-the-great-depression-and-wwii/), Social Welfare History Project / VCU Libraries
11. [Washington Post -- "America's Health and Welfare: Big Field for Computers" (April 13, 1980; EDS welfare computing contracts and state benefit system automation)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1980/04/13/americas-health-and-welfare-big-field-for-computers/fc8350d2-4d93-4f99-a167-5a7f59a93b6a/), Washington Post
12. [FamCare / The Evolution of Casework Solutions -- "The Past, Present and Future" (history of desktop case management software in human services, 1980s-2000s)](https://www.famcare.net/the-evolution-of-casework-solutions-the-past-present-and-future/), FamCare
13. [Virginia Eubanks -- "Caseworkers vs. Computers" (December 2013; Indiana IBM welfare automation failure, $500M cost, 700,000 erroneous denials)](https://virginia-eubanks.com/2013/12/11/caseworkers-vs-computers/), Virginia Eubanks
14. [Code for America -- "Identifying Use Cases for AI in Medicaid Delivery" (2024; ACA eligibility portal automation, 14 states automating 50%+ of determinations by 2023)](https://codeforamerica.org/news/identifying-use-cases-for-ai-in-medicaid-delivery/), Code for America
15. [Route Fifty -- "AI improvements to Medicaid must account for needs of eligibility workers, experts say" (January 2026)](https://www.route-fifty.com/artificial-intelligence/2026/01/ai-improvements-medicaid-must-account-needs-eligibility-workers-experts-say/410916/), Route Fifty
16. [Bipartisan Policy Center -- "AI and Medicaid: Balancing the Promise of Efficiency with Guardrails to Ensure Responsible Use" (2025)](https://bipartisanpolicy.org/article/ai-and-medicaid-balancing-the-promise-of-efficiency-with-guardrails-to-ensure-responsible-use/), Bipartisan Policy Center
17. [Route Fifty -- "How automated data can help states address new SNAP requirements" (December 2025)](https://www.route-fifty.com/digital-government/2025/12/how-automated-data-can-help-states-address-new-snap-requirements/410124/), Route Fifty

### Forecasts and exposure studies

18. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 43-4061 Eligibility interviewers, government programs (2025: 162.8 thousand; 2035: 165.3 thousand; +1.6%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=43-4061&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
19. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 43-4061.00, human-rated β 0.62)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

20. [National Archives -- Social Security Act (1935) milestone document](https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/social-security-act), National Archives
21. [Social Welfare History Project -- "American Social Policy in the 1960s and 1970s" (1962 Public Welfare Amendments)](https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/war-on-poverty/american-social-policy-in-the-60s-and-70s/), Social Welfare History Project / VCU Libraries
22. [SSA -- "Social Security: A Program and Policy History" (1965 Medicaid and Medicare enactment)](https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v66n1/v66n1p1.html), Social Security Administration
23. [Wikipedia -- Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWORA 1996: AFDC to TANF, work requirements, time limits)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Responsibility_and_Work_Opportunity_Act), Wikipedia
24. [Virginia Eubanks -- "Caseworkers vs. Computers" (Indiana IBM welfare automation failure; December 2013)](https://virginia-eubanks.com/2013/12/11/caseworkers-vs-computers/), Virginia Eubanks
25. [KFF Health News -- "States Face Another Challenge With Medicaid Work Rules: Staffing Shortages" (Medicaid unwinding workload surge and eligibility worker staffing challenges)](https://kffhealthnews.org/medicaid/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-state-staff-shortages/), KFF Health News

### Predecessors & successors

26. [Social Welfare History Project -- "Origins of the State and Federal Public Welfare Programs (1932-1935)" (relief worker roles pre-Social Security Act)](https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/public-welfare/origins-of-the-state-federal-public-welfare-programs/), Social Welfare History Project / VCU Libraries

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs (43-4061.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-4061.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS OES May 2024 — 43-4061 Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs (national flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), accessed 2026-10-07
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Goldman Sachs 2023 — Generative AI could replace 300M jobs; 46% of administrative tasks automatable](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/how-will-ai-affect-the-global-workforce), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Bipartisan Policy Center 2025 — AI and Medicaid: Balancing Efficiency with Guardrails](https://bipartisanpolicy.org/article/ai-and-medicaid-balancing-the-promise-of-efficiency-with-guardrails-to-ensure-responsible-use/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Salesforce Ben 2025 — Salesforce Announces Agentforce for Public Sector](https://www.salesforceben.com/salesforce-announces-agentforce-for-public-sector/), accessed 2026-06-22
- [Route Fifty 2025 — How states can prepare to leverage AI for benefits eligibility](https://www.route-fifty.com/artificial-intelligence/2025/05/how-states-can-prepare-leverage-ai-benefits-eligibility/405170/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Appian 2025 — AI Use Cases for Government Case Management](https://appian.com/blog/acp/public-sector/ai-use-cases-government-case-management), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.