How To Become An Enumerator: What It Is and Career Path

What is an enumerator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Enumerators help make the census possible by collecting data from households. Every ten years, the government conducts a census to learn more about the population and allocate necessary resources. Enumerators make sure that census data is accurate by going door-to-door to collect data. They need excellent interpersonal skills in order to conduct interviews and explain the census questions to people. They also need excellent data management skills in order to accurately enter census data and verify any discrepancies. Usually, enumerators work only in their local area so it helps if they have a lot of local knowledge, for example understanding which languages are spoken in the community.

There are many paths to become an enumerator. Some have a bachelor's degree in business or criminal justice, while others have only a high school diploma. Some have experience in customer service, others have administrative experience.

Enumerators earn an average salary of $39,372 a year. However, once the census is over they need to find another job since this is a temporary position.

ScoreEnumeratorUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,133

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

9.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.00%

Asian 4.52%

Black or African American 13.10%

Hispanic or Latino 22.45%

Unknown 5.44%

White 53.50%

Gender

female 61.29%

male 38.71%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

5.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.1

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.8

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become an enumerator

Explore enumerator education requirements

Most common enumerator degrees

Bachelor's

43.9 %

Associate

21.8 %

High School Diploma

18.1 %

Start to develop specific enumerator skills

Skills	Percentages
Census Data	17.59%
Confidentiality Laws	15.35%
Conduct Interviews	9.48%
Paper Forms	9.12%
Accuracy Standards	8.20%

Complete relevant enumerator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New enumerators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an enumerator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real enumerator resumes.

Research enumerator duties and responsibilities

Lead territory HUD quality control study of rent calculations.
Used tools such as shovels, Pulaski's, post pounders, pliers.
Follow up on non-response households by conducting census.
Used research and organization skills to enter relevant data.

Prepare your enumerator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your enumerator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an enumerator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Enumerator Resume templates

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