The majority of positions at Social Security involve working directly with the public and positions are located throughout the country. If you have great people skills you will find this career path both rewarding and challenging. Our Public Contact representatives receive extensive training and mentoring in Social Security programs and state laws. As a Public Contact representative, your daily tasks may include:

  • speaking with beneficiaries about their rights under Social Security laws

  • gathering facts and evidence to establish eligibility for benefits

  • making critical decisions to determine benefit amounts to individuals, and,

  • using state-of-the-art technology to access and update claims information

For more details on Social Security’s many Public Contact opportunities, expand the sections below.


Skills We Look For

Direct Public Contact positions rely heavily on good written and oral communication and people skills. Additional skills in independent analysis and problem solving using policies, procedure, laws and regulations make you a great fit for these positions. Our Public Contact representatives receive extensive training and mentoring in the areas of Social Security programs and state laws.

Public Contact Positions - Direct

Claims Representatives interview applicants for benefits, determine a claimant’s initial eligibility for Social Security benefits, and analyze any evidence that will help make that determination. You will obtain, clarify, and verify data used to analyze claims and make benefit decisions.

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Claims representatives work in each of our more than 1,300 field offices and international offices of operations. This position requires nearly six months of training, and selected candidates begin at the GS-5 or GS-7 salary level depending upon individual qualifications.

Service Representatives provide assistance to the public by answering a wide variety of questions, conducting interviews, investigating situations, and resolving issues. They can make determinations that affect a claimant’s ongoing eligibility for Social Security benefits and analyze claimant benefit payment histories.

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Service representatives work in each of our more than 1,300 field offices, and require eight to nine weeks of training. Selected candidates begin at the GS-4 or GS-5 salary level depending upon individual qualifications.

Teleservice Representatives assist the public when they call our 800 number to obtain information, schedule appointments, or for help resolving issues with benefits. Like Service Representatives, Teleservice Representatives provide assistance to the public by answering a wide variety of questions, conducting interviews, investigating situations, and resolving problems.

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Teleservice Representatives work in each of our 32 Teleservice Centers across the country, and require eight to nine weeks of training. Selected candidates will begin at the GS-4 or GS-5 salary level depending upon individual qualifications.

Public Contact Positions - Processing

public contact jobs
Benefit Authorizers prepare, verify, and maintain our benefit records. Benefit Authorizers work with the public by telephone or mail regarding benefit and payment amounts for various Social Security programs. They use substantive analysis to make benefit determinations and problem solving techniques to apply Social Security policies and regulations.

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Benefit Authorizers work in each of our six program service centers throughout the country, and at our Headquarters location in Baltimore, Maryland. Preparation for this position requires six to eight months of classroom training. Selected candidates will begin at the GS-5 or GS-7 level depending upon individual qualifications.





public contact jobs
Claims Authorizers approve or reconsider claims for Social Security benefits by determining a claimant’s eligibility. They independently research policies, procedures, laws, and regulations to support their decisions.

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Claims Authorizers work in one of our six program service centers nationwide, or in our Headquarters location in Baltimore, Maryland. Claims Authorizers are required to participate in nearly six months of training, and selected candidates begin at the GS-5 or GS-7 salary level depending upon individual qualifications.

Career Advancement

Experience in Public Contact positions can open many doors to future technical, analytical, and supervisory positions within our agency. Many of our executives and managers began their careers as Public Contact representatives.


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Social Security Benefits America!

Social Security is an equal opportunity employer.