At a market research firm, federal statistical agency, university research center, or polling organization, you conduct structured interviews with respondents — by phone, in person, or increasingly video — capturing data for research studies, public-opinion polls, and government statistics.
The CATI station, the field tablet, or the video-call platform is where the work happens — a structured questionnaire with branching logic, validation rules, and quality checks that the interviewer administers consistently across many respondents. Most interviews run 15 to 60 minutes depending on study scope. Completed interviews per shift and data-quality metrics are the operating measures.
Variance is wide: at academic survey centers the work runs on methodologically rigorous studies with quality emphasis; at commercial market-research firms the cadence is faster; at federal statistical agencies (ACS, CPS) the work follows specific federal protocols. Script fidelity matters everywhere — interviewer effects can bias data, and the role rewards consistent administration over conversational improvisation.
It fits people who are steady on the phone or in-person, comfortable with high-rejection environments, and disciplined about not influencing respondent answers. AAPOR membership and survey-research credentials anchor advancement. The trade-off is the queue-based shift work and the modest pay typical of survey-interviewing positions across most sectors.
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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 market research firm, federal statistical agency, university research center, or polling organization, you conduct structured interviews with respondents — by phone, in person, or increasingly video — capturing data for research studies, public-opinion polls, and government statistics.
Median pay for a Survey 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 Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, and Writing.
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 Registration Coordinator, Admissions Recruiter, and Admitting Representative.
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