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Market Research
NielsenIQ, Ipsos, Gallup
Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan
This job is about getting accurate answers from people, whether that means walking them through forms, asking scripted questions, or checking responses for mistakes. The work is more careful than it looks: you spend a lot of time clarifying details, fixing inconsistencies, and keeping records clean. It is relatively easy to enter with a high school diploma, but the tradeoff is modest pay and a shrinking job outlook as more routine interviewing moves online or into automated systems.
Also known as Telephone InterviewerSurvey InterviewerMarket Research InterviewerPhone Survey InterviewerData Collection Interviewer
Median Salary
$43,830
Mean $45,400
U.S. Workforce
~157K
15.8K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-11.6%
164.3K to 145.1K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan sits in the Business category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~157K workers, with a median annual pay of $43,830 and roughly 15.8K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 164.3 K in 2024 to 145.1K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or equivalent, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Intake or Call Center Trainee and can progress toward Interview Team Lead. High-value skills usually include Data Entry & Records Management, Survey Software (Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey), and CRM & Call Center Systems (Salesforce, Five9, Genesys), paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, and Reading Comprehension.
Core Responsibilities
- Ask people questions for surveys, applications, or intake forms and record their answers accurately.
- Follow up on unclear or conflicting answers so the final record makes sense and is complete.
- Review finished forms and interview notes for missing details, errors, or anything that needs correction.
- Enter interview results into computer systems and keep files, records, and paperwork organized.
Keep exploring: more Business careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Ask people questions for surveys, applications, or intake forms and record their answers accurately.
02 Follow up on unclear or conflicting answers so the final record makes sense and is complete.
03 Review finished forms and interview notes for missing details, errors, or anything that needs correction.
04 Enter interview results into computer systems and keep files, records, and paperwork organized.
05 Handle routine phone-based customer or patient questions, and do related office tasks like billing or processing payments when needed.
06 Check in with a supervisor about completed work, and help train newer staff when the job calls for it.
Industries That Hire
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Healthcare Administration
Kaiser Permanente, HCA Healthcare, Mayo Clinic
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Customer Support Outsourcing
Concentrix, Teleperformance, TTEC
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Insurance and Benefits Administration
UnitedHealth Group, Cigna, Humana
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can usually get started with a high school diploma, no prior experience, and short-term training, so the barrier to entry is low.
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There are still about 15.8K annual openings, which gives job seekers more chances to get hired than the shrinking headcount suggests.
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The work builds practical skills in computers, records, and customer communication that transfer to office, healthcare, and call center jobs.
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You often work with clear scripts and procedures, which can make expectations easier to understand than in many other customer-facing jobs.
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If you do well, you can move into team lead or supervisory work without needing a long degree path first.
Challenges
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The pay is only moderate for the amount of precision required: the median salary is $43,830 and the mean is $45,400.
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The occupation is projected to fall by 11.6% by 2034, or about 19.1K jobs, so there may be fewer openings over time.
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A lot of the work is repetitive and closely checked, which can make the job feel monotonous if you do the same interview format all day.
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People may be frustrated, rushed, or dealing with sensitive issues, so the emotional load can be higher than the title suggests.
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A structural downside is the limited career ceiling: many tasks are routine enough to be moved to software, self-service forms, or outsourced call centers.
Career Progression
Intake or Call Center Trainee
0-1 years
$32K-$38K
New workers learn scripts, basic data entry, and quality rules while handling simple interviews or intake calls with close supervision.
Interviewer
1-4 years
$39K-$49K
You handle more independent interviews, clear up inconsistent answers, and keep records accurate across surveys, applications, or patient and customer intake.
Senior Interviewer THIS ROLE
4-7 years
$50K-$60K
Experienced interviewers may handle harder cases, spot errors faster, train newer staff, and take on more responsibility for report quality.
Interview Team Lead
7+ years
$61K-$73K
Leads monitor performance, coach staff, solve workflow problems, and make sure deadlines and data quality standards are being met.
Education Paths
High school diploma or equivalent
The most common entry point, held by 42.42% of workers in this field, and it matches the BLS typical starting requirement.
Associate's degree
A major alternative path, held by 33.47% of workers, especially for applicants who want stronger office, healthcare, or research experience.
Some college courses
A smaller path, held by 5.87% of workers, and it can help if you already have strong phone, data entry, or customer service experience.
Customer service or call center certificate
A short-term credential can be enough to get started because employers usually provide short on-the-job training and do not require prior work experience.
Key Skills
Technical
Data Entry & Records Management 92%
Survey Software (Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey) 90%
CRM & Call Center Systems (Salesforce, Five9, Genesys) 88%
Microsoft Excel & Spreadsheet Tracking 84%
Electronic Health Records (EHR) & Patient Intake Systems 82%
Microsoft Word & Report Formatting 80%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionSocial PerceptivenessCritical ThinkingService Orientation Job Outlook and Trends
+-11.6%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
15.8K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 164.3K to 145.1 K over the next decade, representing -11.6% growth. Around 15.8 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Moderate. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.