How to Land a 2020 Census Job and Make $25/hr

The 2020 Census jobs are now open for applications, so if you have several weeks of free time available, you can be one of the hundreds of thousands of temporary workers hired across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Why would you want to apply to these jobs, you ask? Well, you’ll enjoy flexible work hours, paid training, weekly paychecks and competitive wages.

This post explains everything you need to know about applying to Census temp jobs, how much you can earn, who are qualified, and what types of positions are available.

Types of 2020 Census Jobs Available

Here are the 5 types of 2020 Census jobs:

1. Census Takers

These temp workers help in collecting responses from households that haven’t responded to the census.

You can apply for this position from January to April 2020.

Paid training is scheduled to begin in March and end on mid-May. Actual work occurs from May through July 2020.

• Location: Field
• Available positions: Hundreds of thousands across the country
• Work hours: Since the job is done in the field, work has flexible hours and would depend on the area you’re assigned to. However, most census takers will be required to work on weekends or in the evenings.

2. Census Field Supervisors

They will serve as the supervisor of census takers working in the field.

Their roles would vary on a day-to-day basis, but focus on monitoring performance of census takers and ensuring quotas are met on time.

Applications and job offers will be made until February 2020.

• Location: Field, office and at-home
• Available positions: Thousands across the country
• Work hours: Work schedules follow regular business hours, but can extend to evenings or weekends on specific days.

3. Recruiting Assistants

They’re like HR people, but exclusively working for the Census Bureau.

These recruiting assistants promote employment opportunities available in the U.S. Census and recruit local residents.

They are also the ones assigned to talk to media outlets, communities and other groups about current Census jobs. Compared to other jobs on this list, this one isn’t available at all times, but opens periodically throughout the 2020 Census.

• Location: Field
• Available positions: Thousands across the country
• Work hours: Follows business hours, but can be flexible depending on the location assigned.

4. Clerk

These admin jobs are in-demand and handle many clerical tasks, such as recruitment, payroll, and other functions.

Job offers will be made periodically throughout the 2020 Census.

• Location: Work is done at census offices across the country
• Available positions: Thousands of slots
• Work hours: Follows business hours, but could also extend to evenings and weekends depending on the area.

5. Office Operations Supervisor

These supervisors manage activities of Census clerks.

They work in or near U.S. Census Bureau offices and manage work schedules, conduct quality checks, and wear many hats to ensure operations run smoothly on a day-to-day basis.

• Location: Work is done at census offices across the country
• Available positions: Thousands of slots
• Work hours: Follows business hours, but could also extend to evenings and weekends depending on the area.

How to Apply

To be eligible for any of the jobs above, you should be a U.S. citizen, 18 years old (or older) with a valid Social Security number, valid email address and fully completed application form.

You only need to submit your application ONCE. Your background and answers to the application assessment questions will determine which type of job you’d likely excel the most.

Applicants interested in being considered for supervisory positions must answer additional questions, which take approximately 10 minutes to answer.

For all positions, other requirements include:

• Ability to speak, read and write in English
• Basic computer and internet skills
• Fingerprinting, criminal background checks
• Complete training
• Valid driver’s license (or access to a vehicle)

Non-citizens may be hired, only if no other applicants are willing to take the job.

If you’re bilingual, you have an edge over your competition because the Census Bureau is always looking for temp who can speak other languages other than English.

However, you may still be required to take an English proficiency exam.

Applicants located in Puerto Rico have the option of completing their application forms in either Spanish or English, but the assessments are only allowed to be completed in Spanish. Puerto Rico-based supervisory positions and office-based Census jobs are also required to pass the English proficiency exams.

Sometimes, additional documents may be required after the interview.

You can check the status of your application here.

How Much Can You Earn from these 2020 Census Jobs?

The U.S. Census Bureau only released hourly wages of clerks and census takers. Their pay ranges from $13 to $30 per hour, which depends largely on the town and state you applied to.

To check exact wages, find your location on the drop-down menu to see pay rates near you.

Temporary 2020 Census employees are paid weekly through direct deposit or a paycheck in the mail.

The first paycheck arrives 2 weeks after the first day of work, then every 7 days for subsequent paychecks.

If you were a bit worried about driving to the field, you’d be glad to know that you can be reimbursed for authorized work expenses such as mileage incurred while conducting census work.

Extra Side Hustle after Field Work

The cool thing about doing field work and having flexible working hours is that you can still participate in other side gigs after working your Census jobs.

Here are just several examples, but you can incorporate them into your schedule as you wish:

• Get paid to walk (here are 12 ways to do it)
• Advertise with your car and earn by the mile
• Get paid to eat, if you’re nearby assigned restaurants
• And while you’re out in the field, you can even do errands on your way home and get paid for it.

The Bottom Line

Unfortunately, these 2020 Census jobs are only temporary. If you enjoyed your temp job at the Census Bureau, you can always check USA Jobs or the Census Careers page to see what other permanent jobs are available for your profession.

Don’t have time to work, but would love to receive free government money? (Click this guide to know about your options for free government money)

If you weren’t lucky enough to get a slot this year, don’t worry. Each year, the U.S. Census Bureau opens up these temp jobs once again. Add it into your calendar, so you’re ready next year.

Have you experienced working for Census before? Would you recommend applying for these jobs? Would love to hear about first-hand experiences from anyone below…