How to hire an eligibility worker

How to hire an eligibility worker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step eligibility worker hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an eligibility worker job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new eligibility worker
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an eligibility worker do?

Post an eligibility worker job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your eligibility worker job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an eligibility worker for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an eligibility worker to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an eligibility worker that fits the bill.

   This list presents eligibility worker salaries for various positions.

   Type of Eligibility Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Eligibility Worker	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$14-23
   Support Staff	School support staff provide specialized instructional and student support while utilizing school facilities. They often include diverse staff members whose main role is to ensure that students learn in a supportive and safe learning environment... Show more	$12-19
   Outreach Worker	An outreach worker is responsible for supporting community events and relief efforts to assist citizens with their needs, providing them resources, and facilitating lifestyle programs. Outreach workers coordinate with participants, suppliers, and sponsors for funding and promotions... Show more	$13-23

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Public Assistance Programs
   • Social Services
   • Medical Assistance
   • Medi-Cal
   • Customer Service
   • Computer System
   • TANF
   • Community Resources
   • Calfresh
   • Eligibility Determination
   • Financial Assistance
   • Financial Data
   • Process Applications
   • Social Security

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Calculate and determine benefits and renewals for applicants to state entitlement programs, CalFresh and Medi-Cal.
   • Greet the clients when they come to apply to foodstamps, calworks or medical.
   • Interview clients for food stamps, TANF and Medicaid to see if they are eligible to receive benefits.
   • Plan, implement and coordinate programs and services to TANF recipients and their family members in order to promote self-sufficiency.
   • Carry all the cases for the entire county of individuals who are self employ but still eligible for Calworks and/or foodstamps.
   • Gather require information and documentation to determine eligibility in the Medi-Cal program while implementing policies and regulations.

   More eligibility worker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the eligibility worker job description is a good way to get more applicants. An eligibility worker salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an eligibility worker in Missouri may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level eligibility worker. Additionally, an eligibility worker with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average eligibility worker salary

   $38,510yearly

   $18.51 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level eligibility worker salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average eligibility worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Hawaii	$44,672	$21
   2	California	$42,006	$20
   3	North Dakota	$38,085	$18
   4	Oregon	$37,646	$18
   5	Virginia	$37,563	$18
   6	Nebraska	$32,608	$16
   7	Utah	$32,594	$16
   8	Texas	$32,519	$16

   Average eligibility worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	County Of Los Angeles Public Library	$39,895	$19.18
   2	City & County Of San Francisco - Police Department (sfpd)	$39,706	$19.09	33
   3	State of North Dakota	$39,690	$19.08	9
   4	Palomar Health	$39,428	$18.96	8
   5	Health Advocates	$39,235	$18.86	10
   6	The State of Oregon	$38,315	$18.42	12
   7	University of Georgia Small Business Development Center	$38,293	$18.41	54
   8	SHASTA COUNTY	$38,217	$18.37	1
   9	Kings County Education Office	$37,901	$18.22
   10	Randstad North America, Inc.	$37,811	$18.18
   11	San Bernardino County	$37,014	$17.80
   12	Utah Community Action	$36,463	$17.53
   13	Fort Bend County	$36,385	$17.49	3
   14	Arlington County, VA	$35,287	$16.96	1
   15	State of West Virginia	$35,217	$16.93	94
   16	County of San Joaquin, CA	$30,152	$14.50	4
   17	Always Best Care	$29,029	$13.96

4. Writing an eligibility worker job description

   An eligibility worker job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an eligibility worker job description:

   Eligibility worker job description example

   Characteristic of Work
   This position advocates and works primarily with Head Start families from every station in life, and sometimes dire economic backdrops, to ease them through transitions, hardships, and mentally tough times. This position is responsible for working within a team in assisting the delivery of services to Head Start children and their families utilizing a case management approach.
   
   Essential Functions
   These essential functions include, but are limited to, the following. Additional essential functions may be identified and included by the Agency or assigned by supervisor. Implementing the Head Start recruitment, orientation and enrollment of age and income eligible children and families. Continuous document collection to then sure families are in compliance to attend a head Start center.
   Assisting Families Opportunities Advisors I in the Family Partnership process via assessing and building on family strengths and community assets;
   Completes intake and eligibility procedures for applicants of Agency services.
   Ensure electronic records of families are maintained and up to date including, but not limited to, requirements for: CSBG Standards; Head Start standards as it relates to eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, attendance, family, health, and nutrition services; and LIHEAP requirements. Maintains accurate and up-to-date case files. Ensure files are maintained in one central location and filed in alphabetical order as well as all sites required under program policies.
   Provides information and referral services to persons needing assistance from other social service agencies. Complete Head Start, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Community Services Program, CMPDD Transportation and other applications. Maintains documentation of services provided through entries in COP A and mandated programmatic systems. Monitors and/or follows-up on applicant' s progress periodically, as
   prescribed and/or required. Enter and update all customer data and follow information in accordance with Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and enter into COP A database.
   
   Temporary Eligibility Worker
   Ensures families have access to all needed resources both internally and externally. Ensures ongoing relationship building with families. This could include conducting virtual home visits to ensure opportunities are met. Compiles and submits reports on the services provided to/received by the customers; and/or, on
   the customers' progress in the program to the manager supervisor upon request. Reviews and updates customer roster, daily schedule of customer services, and allocation amount. Shows top customer service skills including returning customer calls in a timely manner, and schedules follow-up appointments when necessary. Participates in Agency training as it relates to program operation.
   
   EDUCATION:
   Graduation from a standard four-year high school or equivalent (GED or High School Equivalency Diploma);
   
   AND
   
   Experience:
   Two (2) years or more of experience working with the general public in positions which included interviewing and policy interpretation.
   
   ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
   Additional essential functions may be identified and included by the hiring agency. The essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following:
   1. Interviews applicants to determine initial and on-going eligibility for programs.
   2. Completes various paperwork and enters data into computer.
   3. Maintains caseload and agency manuals utilizing case action controls including computer printouts, office schedules, work plans, ticklers, alerts, expedited lists, etc

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find eligibility workers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your eligibility worker job on Zippia to find and recruit eligibility worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting eligibility workers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new eligibility worker

   Once you've decided on a perfect eligibility worker candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new eligibility worker. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an eligibility worker?