Salary Range for Degree2
Note that 53% of professionals with an MPA or an MPP earn more than $75,001 a year.
- 17% of Professionals earn $55,000 - 65,000
- 10% of Professionals earn $65,000 - 75,000
- 16% of Professionals earn $75,001 - 85,000
- 7% of Professionals earn $85,001听- 95,000
- 13% of Professionals earn $95,001听- 125,000
- 7% of Professionals earn $125,000+
Satisfied with Current Job2
Overwhelmingly, professionals with an MPA or MPP are happy in their careers.
- Level of Autonomy: 90.7%
- Job Tasks: 89.7%
- Value to Society: 89.2%
- Work Environment: 89.2%
- Level of Responsibility: 87.6%
- Level of Challenge: 87%
- Salary: 73.1%
- Opportunities to be Promoted: 70.8%
Explore MPAP Roles on these Career Paths
Our graduates put their skills to use as project managers or program directors, or as public policy analysts, public affairs specialists, and consultants听across all sectors.
Learning to use the different frameworks for policy analysis and applying logic and ethics to the understanding of government policy prepares you for a policy analyst role. Policy analysts may collect or research data related to a particular policy, estimate the effects of new proposed policies and make recommendations, evaluate existing programs, and communicate this information to public officials and other decision-makers.
Coursework prepares you to:
- Analyze policy problems using statistical, economic, and budgetary tools
- Produce a well-researched, logically constructed policy memo that examines policy problems and assesses and recommends potential solutions
- Monitor and evaluate the outcomes, impacts, and performance of public, policy programs
- Formulate your vision of strong policy analysis and its role in the policy process and develop your ethical grounding
The online Master鈥檚 in Public Policy and Administration prepares you for roles such as a听level-2 public policy analyst, which typically requires 4-7 years of experience and has a听median salary of $91,750.3
With continued experience, you could pursue a听government liaison level-3听position and earn a听median salary of $132,000 a year.4听In this role, you will monitor and analyze proposed legislation, emerging issues and trends and prepare reports to inform and support the organization.
With a decade of experience, you could become a听government liaison level-4.听At this point, you work independently and most likely in a specialized area. Your responsibilities revolve around solutions and possibly leadership in your area of expertise. You will earn a听median salary of $172,000.5
Networking Associations
The听(APPAM) is committed to the improvement of public policy research, analysis, and education.
- Offers a yearly research conference, in which members are encouraged to present and interact with other leaders in the industry as well as in academia
- Publishes the peer-reviewed Journal of Policy Analysis & Management
- Provides many opportunities for students and professionals to exchange ideas and practices
Studying topics in legal and financial issues, organization management, project management, and human resources gives you the grit, grace and skill sets needed to succeed in public administration and management roles. You graduate able to:
- Analyze and resolve practical problems and decisions encountered by public managers
- Manage projects and evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and budgetary implications of programs
- Manage and lead employees in small and large public organizations with individual rights and duties in mind
- Shape and influence organizations and their interactions with relevant stakeholders in the public and private sector
- Develop and communicate sound advice for policymakers grounded in understanding the constitutional and legal context of public action
Public administration applies to a variety of potential career paths, including those in municipal, county, and state management as well as in the federal government. Public administrators work in a wide range of sectors, including:
- Education
- Parks and Recreation
- Social Services
- Law and Policy Enforcement
- Utilities
- Transportation
- Urban Planning
In the federal government, salaries are publicized annually in听听A new employee with a master鈥檚 degree is typically paid at a GS-9 level. However, if you鈥檝e already been working in a government role, your master鈥檚 degree could move you up two paygrades, from a GS-9 to a GS-11, or even from a GS-11 to a GS 13.
Each pay grade on the scale can also evolve within 10 steps to produce a salary range for that level.
- GS-9 $47,097 鈥 $61,227
- GS-11 $56,983 鈥 $74,074
- GS-13 $81,216 鈥 $105,579
Networking Associations
- The听听serves as an overarching body offering conferences, and webinars with sector-specific organizations in public administration.
- The听听connects professionals in public and private organizations that provide products and services in this sector. APWA offers local chapters for members to meet, network and join task forces.
- LinkedIn has more than 500 groups for 鈥減ublic administration,鈥 including many that are geo-specific.
- Job vacancies in the federal government are advertised through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management鈥檚听.
Throughout your coursework you will cover the unique operational, financial, and managerial aspects of nonprofit management so that you can graduate able to:
- Lead and manage an entire nonprofit organization, both its internal relations as well as its relations with stakeholders and government entities
- Meet organizational nonprofit challenges inherent in delivering public services
- Account for the performance of public program delivery
- Navigate budgetary and financial constraints in the public sector
Nonprofit work represents 10.2% of private sector employment and is responsible for 12.3 million jobs and $6.7 billion in wages annually.6
When you graduate with a master鈥檚 degree, you may start out as a听program manager听with a听salary of $92,718 per year.7听With experience and success, you could become an听associate director of a nonprofit, with a median听salary of $126,516 a year,8听and after that, a听program executive director听with a median salary of听$144, 828.9
Networking Associations
- The听听has an association in each state to help connect local nonprofits.
- The听promotes the development of nonprofit professionals through annual conferences and extensive online resources.
- ImpactFlow offers a LinkedIn group called听.
Students looking to work at the municipal or state level are at an advantage with a combined degree in public administration and public policy. You will understand how to straddle the analytic and management tasks within the ever-present political context. Graduate able to use a lasting set of organizational, managerial, and leadership skills so you can:
- Diagnose problems and devise solutions for practical problems, especially those at the state and local level
- Assess budget proposals critically and determine the financial impacts of different courses of action
- Define various types of government revenue and spending and the factors driving both
With these skills, students are prepared to enter their state or local government offices and improve how the local programs and government departments and agencies operate. Public service employees at the state and local levels may听begin as researchers听with a salary of听$59,740 a year.10听They could progress to city management or a听position managing a state鈥檚 department,听and earn a median salary of听$104,00 a year.11
Networking Associations
- 听(ICMA), which establishes national standards for best practices in city and county management and offers training opportunities.
- The听听publishes Governing magazine and regularly holds events and conferences in various parts of the country. The Institute also publicizes evolving best practices in government at the state and local levels.
- Like their federal counterparts, state and city public administration professionals can advance their careers by joining the听The ASPA serves its members through professional development initiatives and annual conferences.
Students who expect to work in this challenging field must have an in-depth understanding of the way that different organizations function in the public and private sectors. They are often called to seamlessly switch between working in government and operating in a for-profit environment. You graduate able to:
- Understand how public organizations are structured and their limitations compared to private companies
- Develop best practices for public organizations within the required framework established by a constitutional and administrative law
- Strategize to analyze the effects of programs and policies
- Respond to requests for proposals and manage projects on time and on budget
Joining a consulting firm is a common career path for graduates in public administration and public policy. Consultants bring specialized competencies to the table to assess a program鈥檚 efficiencies and make reform and improvement recommendations to programs. Typically, students who wish to start on the path of government consulting start as management analysts or auditors.
At the government level, the median income for听management analysts听is听$81,090per year.12听With many years of experience, government consultants may become an听executive in government听with an听annual salary near $104,730 a year, or choose to听work within professional services听and earn an average salary of听$208,000 or more.13
Networking Associations
Government consultants enjoy access to a premier consulting association:
- The听听USA (IMC USA)
- The IMC USA offers a professional certification in management consulting and a variety of networking events, such as roundtables, forums and workshops in its local chapters.
Coursework in the MPAP curriculum prepares you to balance competing needs to determine the most effective method in how to finance important public programs. It prepares you to grasp the political and legal contexts that public budgets operate within at all levels of government. Graduate ready for this career path able to:
- Examine problems and assess alternative courses of action
- Track program performance and conduct cost estimates and evaluations
- Evaluate policies and budget priorities based on:
- Factors driving revenues and expenditures
- The efficacy of revenue-generating programs
- Tradeoffs and priorities between alternative revenue-raising and expenditure programs
- The budgetary effects of expenditure programs on the population as a whole, as well as on the debt burden of future generations
Government funds at any level require careful management to ensure that resources are used effectively and efficiently.
Public administration and policy graduates working in financial management help ensure that budgets for policy initiatives and goals are in line with the needs of constituents. They may create budgets, estimate budgetary impacts, account for funds, analyze the use of funds, collect fees and some taxes, or study the implications of the use of public funds.
People in this field often start out as听budget analysts in local, state or federal government, where 46% of them work and听earn between $77,000 and $87,000 a year.14听With experience, you could step into a听financial manager role in government听and earn an average income of听$123,010.15
Networking Associations
- The听听supports public finance professionals across the country through their peer-reviewed journal,听Public Budgeting & Finance, summer internships for students, career development resources, and yearly conferences.
- You will find numerous groups online, including听, and several national and regional groups devoted to public finance on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Career Services
小蓝视频鈥檚 Career Center offers its services to online and on-campus students as well as to all alumni, so you will continue to听receive support for as long as you need it.
This means you will have access to resources for your job search, career advising, internships, and scholarships. You can also network, look听for jobs, and apply for positions by making an account at 小蓝视频 Career Web, our online career search tool.
Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF)
Online MPAP Graduates Join Esteemed PMF Program
Every year, approximately 6,000 public administration and policy graduate students apply for the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program in hopes of joining its prestigious ranks. The听, established by executive order in 1977, was designed to provide a pipeline of qualified professionals who could bring their skills and expertise to the federal government.
Landing a fellowship means a paid, two-year appointment working for the federal government. Alumni of the program include senators,听diplomats, and federal program directors 鈥 becoming a PMF finalist can jump-start the careers of civil servants and provide them with a听powerful network.
In 2022, about 7% of PMF applicants became finalists, and only 33% of those were selected for a fellowship.16
The extensive testing, resume evaluation, and essay writing processes are intense, and for most, the PMF experience ends with the application process. But with support from peers and faculty,听the number of PMF appointments to 小蓝视频 grads outnumbers those from all other universities in the nation 鈥 in 2022, 41% of our PMF finalists were awarded a fellowship.16
Dedicated to Your Success
小蓝视频 actively encourages its top students who are interested in a federal public service career to apply for the PMF program听and provides detailed online information sessions.
After applying, candidates must take an online test and submit a r茅sum茅 and transcript. Top-performing, first-round candidates are named听finalists and are eligible for an appointment as a Fellow with a participating federal agency.
While it鈥檚 a challenging process, 小蓝视频 prepares its candidates for each stage.
First step: The online test
One secret to the school鈥檚 success: 小蓝视频 has a Blackboard site set up with study guides and offers prep workshops for听students who plan to take the three-hour test.
For finalists: Connections and networking
If selected, finalists have one year to apply for positions available only to Fellows. Last year, there were 550 finalists. 小蓝视频听connects its finalists with alumni through networking sessions in which finalists receive tips on applying for these positions. This dramatically听improves their chances of success when applying. Because of the school鈥檚 efforts and support, 98 percent of 小蓝视频鈥檚 finalists听become Fellows.
Built to address the real-world needs of policy professionals and public administrators, the online MPAP program offers experiences that truly prepare graduates to make a difference. With many opportunities to collaborate, network, and take on realistic challenges, the program produces outstanding graduates.
Alumni Employers
As passionate change-makers, our alumni are responsible for using their policy skills to make an impact. You can join an incredible set of 小蓝视频 alumni听who work in diverse roles across sectors and organizations.
- Accrediting Commission of Career
- Schools and Colleges
- Achieve Now
- Administrative Office of the U.S.
- Courts
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- Center for Coalfield Justice
- Chicago Department of Cultural
- Affairs and Special Events
- City Year Los Angeles (AmeriCorps)
- Office of the Inspector General 鈥撎齋ocial Security Administration听
- For Our Future听
- Committed to Change
- Crossroads Treatment Centers
- Forward Majority Action
- Hamilton County Job & Family Services
- Health & Medicine Counsel of Washington
- International Justice Mission
- Lawyers鈥 Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- Mount Sinai Health System
- National Cancer Institute
- National Transportation Safety Board
- Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual听Violence听
- Rhode Island Department of Labor & Training
- South Dakota Unified Judicial System
- U.S. Air Force
- U.S. Coast Guard
- U.S. House of Representatives
- U.S. Marine Corps
- U.S. Navy
- U.S. Senate
- Volunteers of America
- Washington State Department of Commerce
