Public Administration Careers

A master’s degree in public administration opens up a variety of public administration career paths within both the government and non-profit sectors. MPAs are employed in internal management positions within governmental agencies, in jobs involving the assessment and implementation of public policy and in leadership positions in the non-profit sector. Also, as MPA programs provide training in data analysis, management technique and other valuable skills, some MPA graduates work in the private sector or move back and forth between the private and public sectors.

City or County Manager
Another public administration career choice is a city manager. A city manager is responsible for the supervision of all city departments and oversees all personnel decisions. Perhaps most importantly, the city manager is responsible for the preparation and execution of the budget for the city. Some municipalities require the city manager to hold an MPA, though many cities and counties that do not require an MPA still favor one in a candidate. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary of a city manager in 2008 was $94,992.

Management Analyst
Management analysts—sometimes called management consultants when they work in the private sector—are brought in when a department, organization or corporation is trying to fix issues with budgeting, organizational structure or productivity. Management analysts evaluate income and expenditure data, observe day-to-day operations within the workplace and interview employees and management to determine the best way to fix the identified problems. The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics estimates that employment of management analysts will grow by 24% from 2008 to 2018. The Bureau reports that, in 2008, analysts employed by state governments made a median annual wage of $55,590, those employed by the federal executive branch made $79,830 and those employed by private companies and enterprises made $73,760.

Human Resources Manager
HR managers are responsible for the recruitment and hiring of employees, performance management, employee relations, the administration of employee benefits and other tasks related to the management of the workforce within a particular organization. HR managers work in a large variety of environments, including federal, state and local governments, non-profit organizations and private sector corporations. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, in 2008, the median salary of HR managers employed in state government was $76,570, in local government was $89,240 and in private companies and enterprises was $107,280.