MEPS – Field Interviewer (Anderson, SC)

Westat is currently seeking motivated and detail-oriented individuals to work as Field Interviewers for the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a continuing, national study of healthcare costs and usage in the United States.

This Federal Government project is subject to the Service Contract Act (SCA). The hourly rate for this position is determined by the location where work is performed. In addition to hourly pay, a Health and Welfare payment of $4.93, which may be reduced based on group benefit election, will be paid weekly for up to 40 work hours per week. Paid training. While working in the field, travel time and mileage is reimbursed.

MEPS, a continuing study since 1996, is sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a part of the Department of Health and Human Services. MEPS Field Interviewers conduct in-person and computer-assisted video interviews with adult members of households, drawn from a nationally representative sample, using a Westat-provided laptop computer. FIs are responsible for contacting the households in-person and/or by phone to gain cooperation, setting appointments, completing the interview, and collecting and following up with electronic and hard-copy signed documents. Field interviewers report regularly to a field supervisor, complete and submit administrative paperwork, and comply with data security and confidentiality requirements.

Traveling to the MEPS in-person training in January 2026 is a mandatory job requirement. In addition, FIs may be required to travel to local, and at times long-distance households, with some assignments requiring overnight travel.

Basic Qualifications:

• Be at least 18 years old (or an emancipated minor) with the ability to enter binding confidentiality agreements to protect project information;
• Be available to complete mandatory web-based home study training, including an MS Teams video call, prior to the in-person training;
• Be available to travel on January 12, 2026, and complete a five and a half day in-person training that begins on January 13 and ends on January 18, 2026; and
• Be available to complete mandatory web-based and virtual training activities, following the in-person training, including a post-training home study between January 19 and January 23, 2026.

Minimum Requirements:

• Reside in and travel to the geographic location determined by the project to contact the households in your assignment and to conduct in-person interviews.
• Be available to begin work for the data collection period, starting January 2026. The current expected end date of the study is December 2030.
• Be available to work a minimum of 20 hours per week, when work is available, including daytime, evening, and weekend hours, based on the preferences of the households in your assignment.
• Be willing to travel locally for project work, with the possibility of some overnight travel as needed.
• Be able to meet the physical requirements of the position, with or without reasonable accommodations:
  • Lift and carry 20 pounds of equipment and materials;
  • Walk several blocks; and
  • Climb stairs while carrying equipment to gain entry to sampled households.
• Have consistent access to a fully insured, reliable vehicle. Work-related mileage is reimbursed at the prevailing GSA rate.
• Have a current and valid driver's license that is not under suspension.

MS Teams will be used to conduct interviews with candidates for this position.

Any offer of employment may be contingent upon receipt of acceptable results from a post-offer background screening, if required for the specific position, which may include, for example, identity verification, employment history, motor vehicle driving record history, and criminal or sexual offender records history.

This is a part-time non-exempt position not initially eligible for health insurance or a health savings account (HSA). To be eligible for health insurance and an HSA, you must work 1,560 hours from September through September of the following year, with coverage beginning January 1 of the year after eligibility is satisfied.

This position is eligible for overtime pay, sick leave, paid vacation, and holiday leave based on hours worked. All field positions are eligible to participate in the 401(k) program (employer matching is dependent on hours worked and disbursement is subject to program rules). Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be eligible for consideration for reassignment on other Westat field data collection projects if they become available.

This opportunity will be posted for a minimum of seven days and applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

To apply, click on the following link:

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Westat is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other protected status under applicable law.