At a federal statistical agency, academic research center, or market-research firm, you conduct in-person interviews with study participants — visiting homes, businesses, or specified locations to administer structured surveys and capture data for official statistics or research studies.
The respondent at the door — or at the table inside, once they've agreed to participate — is the center of the role. The interviewer works a tablet-based CAPI system (computer-assisted personal interviewing), reads scripted questions, captures responses, and navigates the interview's branches and skips. Most interviews run 30 to 90 minutes depending on study scope. Completed interviews per assignment and data quality are the operating measures.
The variance across employers is significant: federal surveys (ACS, NCVS, NHANES) run under heavy quality protocols; academic research interviews tilt toward smaller specialized studies; commercial market research runs faster, less rigorous studies. The interviewer's relational skill affects response rates and data quality more than any other factor.
This role suits people who are personable, comfortable in others' homes, and disciplined about script fidelity. Federal interviewer training, IFD credentials, and research-protocol training anchor advancement. The trade-off is the irregular hours and travel that field interviewing involves and the contract or part-time nature of most positions outside the federal-staff field.
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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 federal statistical agency, academic research center, or market-research firm, you conduct in-person interviews with study participants — visiting homes, businesses, or specified locations to administer structured surveys and capture data for official statistics or research studies.
Median pay for a Field Interviewer is about $54K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $32K to $119K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Writing, Speaking, Critical Thinking, and Active Listening.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to decline about 8.4% through 2034, with roughly 165,030 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Field Representative, Registration Clerk, and Research Scientist.
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