Hiring an eligibility interviewer in Modesto, CA

Employers in the Modesto, CA area pay eligibility interviewers, government programs a median of $64,730, with the middle half of the market between $61,170 and $73,500. Modesto residents working in office and administrative support occupations report a median of $42,044, which is 35% below what the metro pays for this role.

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What does an eligibility interviewer earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Modesto, CA area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$61,170
Median	$64,730
75th percentile	$73,500

Half of eligibility interviewers, government programs in this area earn between $61,170 and $73,500. A band set below $61,170 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Modesto residents earn

$42,044

Median earnings of Modesto residents working in office and administrative support occupations, 11,270 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 35% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The role pays well above the local residential norm, which usually means you can hire from inside Modesto rather than competing for commuters.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

Compute and authorize amounts of assistance for programs, such as grants, monetary payments, and food stamps.
Keep records of assigned cases, and prepare required reports.
Compile, record, and evaluate personal and financial data to verify completeness and accuracy, and to determine eligibility status.
Interview and investigate applicants for public assistance to gather information pertinent to their applications.
Interview benefits recipients at specified intervals to certify their eligibility for continuing benefits.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 43-4061.

Tools and technologies in demand

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Dynamics, Zoom.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Modesto?

This is a job zone three: medium preparation needed occupation. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 20.3% of Modesto adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Modesto commute runs 29.7 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 7.3% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Stanislaus County, administrative and support services employs 7,379 and turns over 13.9% a quarter, with 2,087 hires against 2,195 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $3,653 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 56.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about eligibility interviewers, government programs. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a high-churn market, where speed matters more than a perfect fit.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $12,946 to $19,419 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.