Haven’t found a full-time job yet? Interested in doing something worthwhile that will help your community while you’re still looking?
The U.S. 2020 Census is hiring thousands of people across the nation and in Puerto Rico for a variety of jobs. These temporary positions include census takers, office staff, recruiting assistants and supervisors.
To qualify, you must be:
- A U.S. citizen
- 18 years or older
- Able to work flexible hours – days, evenings and weekends
And you must have:
- A valid social security number
- Working email address
- A valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle (unless public transportation is available)
While there’s no box to check on the application, there is a Census-performed background check and a review of criminal records. And you must be fingerprinted before the first day of the job. Supervisors have no information about a worker’s background. They only know whether or not they passed the background check.
How applicants with criminal records are judged
Applicants with criminal records are judged based on the nature of the offense, the length of time passed, evidence of rehabilitation and other factors considered by the FBI.
The hourly wage depends on location, and you can find the pay for your area by checking out the job locations page on the Census Bureau website. It’s possible to search locations by state and city to see where people are being hired and the range of pay. For example, in Birmingham, Ala., census takers get paid from $14.50 to $18.00 per hour. In St. Louis, Mo., it’s $19.50. And in San Francisco, the pay is $30. Mileage is also paid for car use.
The jobs that the 2020 census is hiring for will last for several weeks, and hiring is currently underway. The first step is to apply online. Applicants, once hired, go through paid training before beginning the actual work. It may be several weeks between when applicants receive a job offer and they begin training.
