Census taker vs field enumerator

The differences between census takers and field enumerators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a census taker and a field enumerator. Additionally, a census taker has an average salary of $38,585, which is higher than the $35,935 average annual salary of a field enumerator.

The top three skills for a census taker include confidentiality laws, census bureau and paper forms. The most important skills for a field enumerator are confidentiality laws, data collection, and accuracy standards.

Census taker vs field enumerator overview

	Census Taker	Field Enumerator
Yearly salary	$38,585	$35,935
Hourly rate	$18.55	$17.28
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	1,153	44,747
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

Census taker vs field enumerator salary

Census takers and field enumerators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Census Taker	Field Enumerator
Average salary	$38,585	$35,935
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $68,000	Between $21,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between census taker and field enumerator education

There are a few differences between a census taker and a field enumerator in terms of educational background:

	Census Taker	Field Enumerator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Census taker vs field enumerator demographics

Here are the differences between census takers' and field enumerators' demographics:

	Census Taker	Field Enumerator
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 38.2% Female, 61.8%	Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 5.3% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between census taker and field enumerator duties and responsibilities

Census taker example responsibilities.

Follow GPS locations to specific homes en route.
Use handheld GPS pinpoint navigation mapping system to input data for all addresses that exist or no longer exist.
Select to work on subsequent quality control operation along with other top enumerators.
Enter applicant data into DAPPS computer.

Field enumerator example responsibilities.

Work with and lead operators, effectively conveying information, ensuring successful wireline operation performance.
Identify housing units and update maps using GPS device; interview people when necessary.
Conduct in-person screening/interviewing of different individuals of all age groups in select households using computer assist personal interviewing (CAPI).
Work with and lead operators, effectively conveying information, ensuring successful wireline operation performance.

Census taker vs field enumerator skills

Common census taker skills

Confidentiality Laws, 13%
Census Bureau, 13%
Paper Forms, 10%
US Census, 8%
Conduct Interviews, 8%
Customer Service, 7%

Common field enumerator skills

Confidentiality Laws, 24%
Data Collection, 21%
Accuracy Standards, 16%
Quality Control Verification, 14%
USDA, 13%
GPS, 11%