At a survey research firm, market research company, or polling operation, you conduct telephone interviews from a calling center — dialing assigned phone lists, administering scripted questionnaires, and capturing responses into the data system.
Most shifts run at a phone bank — a headset, a CATI (computer-assisted telephone interview) system, and a queue of dialed numbers. The interviewer works through the script, captures responses according to coding rules, and moves to the next call. Completed interviews per shift and response-rate accuracy are the operating measures.
What this work asks of you in practice is conversational warmth that survives rejection at scale — most calls end before the interview begins, and the interviewer keeps voice and energy steady through hundreds of attempts to find the small percentage who agree. Variance is real: at academic survey centers the cadence is methodical with quality emphasis; at commercial market-research firms it tilts toward higher volume and faster studies.
This role suits people who are steady on the phone, comfortable with scripts, and patient with high-rejection environments. Survey-research association credentials and CATI-system training anchor advancement. The trade-off is the queue-bound shift work and the modest pay typical of phone-room positions, balanced against the relatively low barrier to entry and the steady availability of work in survey firms.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Admin & Office roles →At a survey research firm, market research company, or polling operation, you conduct telephone interviews from a calling center — dialing assigned phone lists, administering scripted questionnaires, and capturing responses into the data system.
Median pay for a Desk Interviewer is about $44K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $32K to $61K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Social Perceptiveness, and Service Orientation.
Most people in this role hold a high school diploma.
Employment in this field is projected to decline about 11.6% through 2034, with roughly 157,310 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Field Representative, Registration Clerk, and ER Clerk (Emergency Room Clerk).
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