How much does an eligibility worker make?

The average eligibility worker salary in the United States is $38,510. Eligibility worker salaries typically range between $30,000 and $48,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for eligibility workers is $18.51 per hour. Eligibility worker salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Eligibility workers earn the highest average salary in New Jersey.

Eligibility worker salary

Q: What state pays Eligibility Workers the most?

New Jersey pays Eligibility Workers the most in the United States, with an average salary of $49,002 per year, or $23.56 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as an eligibility worker?

You know if you are being paid fairly as an eligibility worker if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Illinois you should be paid close to $47,168 per year.

Quoted expert

Jennifer Kukis

Average eligibility worker salary

$38,510

$18.51 hourly rate

Entry-level eligibility worker salary

$30,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding the Eligibility Worker Salary

As of October 2025, the average salary for an Eligibility Worker stands at $38,510 annually, translating to around $19 per hour. This role is vital for assessing and determining eligibility for various social services and benefits, making it essential in public welfare and community support systems.

Salary Variations

The salary for Eligibility Workers varies significantly based on location, experience, and specific employer. For example, those working in metropolitan areas often earn higher wages due to the cost of living. States such as California and New York tend to offer competitive salaries, reflecting the demand for skilled workers in these regions.

Experience Matters

Entry-level positions may start lower, while seasoned professionals can command higher salaries. Additional certifications or specialized training can also enhance earning potential. By examining local and state salary data, job seekers can better position themselves for career advancement.

Job Opportunities

Eligibility Workers find roles in various sectors, including government agencies, non-profits, and healthcare organizations. With the growing need for social services, this field offers stable employment opportunities, making it an attractive option for those seeking meaningful work.

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Eligibility worker salary by:

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Where can an Eligibility Worker earn more?

Compare salary by location

63k

43k

23k

Columbus, OH$44,672

Rosenberg, TX$32,519

Compare salary by company

59k

39k

19k

-971

County Of Los Angeles Public Library$39,895

Always Best Care$29,029

Eligibility worker salaries by experience level

Experience level	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
Entry-level eligibility worker	$29,400	$14.12
Mid-level eligibility worker	$38,900	$18.71
Senior-level eligibility worker	$41,500	$19.94

Eligibility worker salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor and Ziprecruiter, the average salary for an eligibility worker typically falls between $38,510 and $50,590.

zippia

$38,510yearly

glassdoor[1]

$44,745yearly

indeed[2]

$48,689yearly

Salary.com[3]

$50,590yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$47,270yearly

Average eligibility worker salary by state

The average eligibility worker salary in New Jersey, Illinois, and Iowa are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average eligibility worker salary states are Missouri, Arizona, and South Carolina.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for eligibility workers

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	South Dakota	$40,380	$19.41
2	Washington	$43,368	$20.85
3	Iowa	$46,942	$22.57
4	Connecticut	$42,073	$20.23
5	West Virginia	$39,351	$18.92
6	New York	$44,423	$21.36
7	Kansas	$45,776	$22.01
8	Illinois	$47,168	$22.68
9	New Jersey	$49,002	$23.56
10	Wyoming	$39,981	$19.22
11	Rhode Island	$42,055	$20.22
12	Minnesota	$43,736	$21.03
13	Louisiana	$38,577	$18.55
14	Vermont	$41,427	$19.92
15	Delaware	$41,291	$19.85
16	California	$41,641	$20.02
17	Nevada	$41,353	$19.88
18	Massachusetts	$41,858	$20.12
19	Montana	$40,726	$19.58
20	Hawaii	$44,667	$21.47
21	Colorado	$39,470	$18.98
22	New Hampshire	$41,622	$20.01
23	Idaho	$37,724	$18.14
24	Pennsylvania	$37,752	$18.15
25	Oregon	$37,618	$18.09
26	North Dakota	$37,840	$18.19
27	Maine	$38,251	$18.39
28	District of Columbia	$40,428	$19.44
29	Alabama	$34,413	$16.54
30	Michigan	$36,291	$17.45
31	Maryland	$40,626	$19.53
32	Indiana	$37,053	$17.81
33	Virginia	$36,706	$17.65
34	Nebraska	$32,524	$15.64
35	Tennessee	$32,753	$15.75
36	Arkansas	$34,090	$16.39
37	New Mexico	$33,579	$16.14
38	Utah	$32,562	$15.65
39	Oklahoma	$33,132	$15.93
40	Wisconsin	$34,817	$16.74
41	Ohio	$35,507	$17.07
42	Georgia	$32,139	$15.45
43	Florida	$30,817	$14.82
44	Alaska	$35,551	$17.09
45	Kentucky	$34,355	$16.52
46	Texas	$32,459	$15.61
47	Missouri	$31,915	$15.34
48	South Carolina	$31,537	$15.16
49	North Carolina	$30,898	$14.85
50	Mississippi	$30,978	$14.89
51	Arizona	$31,599	$15.19

Top eligibility worker jobs near you

Highest paying cities for eligibility workers

The highest-paying cities for eligibility workers are Urban Honolulu, HI, San Francisco, CA, and Grand Forks, ND.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Urban Honolulu, HI	$44,672	$21.48
2	San Francisco, CA	$42,006	$20.20
3	Grand Forks, ND	$38,085	$18.31
4	Portland, OR	$37,646	$18.10
5	Arlington, VA	$37,563	$18.06
6	Fremont, NE	$32,608	$15.68
7	Salt Lake City, UT	$32,594	$15.67
8	Rosenberg, TX	$32,519	$15.63

Eligibility worker salary details

An eligibility worker's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $48,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average eligibility worker salary graph, trends, and summary

What is an eligibility worker's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$48,000	$4,000	$23
75th Percentile	$43,000	$3,583	$21
Average	$38,510	$3,209	$19
25th Percentile	$34,000	$2,833	$16
10th Percentile	$30,000	$2,500	$14

Highest paying eligibility worker jobs

The highest paying types of eligibility workers are work force advisor, medicaid specialist, and welfare eligibility interviewer.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Support Staff	$31,772	$2,648	$15.28	161,915
Outreach Worker	$37,639	$3,137	$18.10	65,822

How would you rate the starting salaries for eligibility workers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Jennifer Kukis

Professor/Coordinate, Lorain County Community College

In Ohio, Social workers earn an average yearly salary of $49,260. Wages typically start from $31,670 and go up to $78,590.

https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/social-worker/salary/ohio/
In Ohio, Starting level social worker earnings begin at:
$15.23
per hour
$31,670
per year with a Bachelors Degree in Social Work, and around $13.00 for a Social Work Assistant with a two year degree in Human Services.

Top companies hiring eligibility workers now:

Which companies pay eligibility workers the most?

Eligibility worker salaries at County Of Los Angeles Public Library and City & County Of San Francisco - Police Department (sfpd) are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average eligibility worker salary at companies like State of North Dakota and Palomar Health are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	County Of Los Angeles Public Library	$39,895	$19.18
2	City & County Of San Francisco - Police Department (sfpd)	$39,706	$19.09
3	State of North Dakota	$39,690	$19.08
4	Palomar Health	$39,428	$18.96
5	Health Advocates	$39,235	$18.86
6	The State of Oregon	$38,315	$18.42
7	University of Georgia Small Business Development Center	$38,293	$18.41
8	SHASTA COUNTY	$38,217	$18.37
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
14	Arlington County, VA	$35,287	$16.96
15	State of West Virginia	$35,217	$16.93
16	County of San Joaquin, CA	$30,152	$14.50
17	Always Best Care	$29,029	$13.96

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$40,000$39,600$39,200$38,800$38,400$38,000

MaleFemale

Eligibility worker salary trends

The average eligibility worker salary has risen by $4,945 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average eligibility worker earned $33,565 annually, but today, they earn $38,510 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for eligibility workers over the last decade.

Compare eligibility worker salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average eligibility worker salary over time

Compare eligibility worker salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Eligibility worker salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$38,500	$18.51	+1.1%
2024	$38,100	$18.31	+1.2%
2023	$37,600	$18.09	+3.5%
2022	$36,300	$17.45	+2.4%
2021	$35,400	$17.04	+0.4%

Recently added eligibility worker salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Neheadstart	Eligibility Operations Worker-Scottsbluff CSC	Scottsbluff, NE	06/29/2025	$42,575
Utah Community Action	Heat Eligibility Worker	Salt Lake City, UT	06/26/2025	$39,236
State of Nebraska	Eligibility Operations Worker	Beatrice, NE	06/26/2025	$43,535
Community Health Alliance	WIC Eligibility Worker I	Reno, NV	06/25/2025	$35,814
State of Oregon	Benefit & Eligibility Worker (Human Services Specialist 3)	Eugene, OR	06/24/2025	$48,276
Oregon	Benefit and Eligibility Worker (Human Services Specialist 3)	Loop, TX	06/19/2025	$48,276
Department of Human Services	Eligibility Worker (Human Services Specialist 3)	Portland, OR	06/19/2025	$48,276
Department of Human Services	Benefit and Eligibility Worker (Human Services Specialist 3)	Redmond, WA	06/19/2025	$48,276
International Paper	Miscellaneous Labor-1St. Shift M-F-Bonus Eligible	San Antonio, TX	06/10/2025	$42,846
State of Nebraska	Eligibility Operations Worker	Columbus, NE	05/28/2025	$42,575

Eligibility worker salary FAQs

What state pays Eligibility Workers the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as an eligibility worker?

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

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Updated December 15, 2025

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