Also called: County Administrator, Town Administrator
The hired professional who runs a city government day to day for the elected mayor and city council.
You start with a call about a water main break, then present the budget to the city council, then meet the police chief and the parks director about summer staffing. Residents email you directly when potholes aren't fixed.
Big-city managers earn the most; small towns pay closer to $100k.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 8 years after high school. Usually a Master of Public Administration (MPA) plus years in local government.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Public Administration, Political Science, Urban Planning.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). Steady; every growing town needs one.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps with budgets and resident requests; leading departments in a crisis and working with an elected council stays human.
Classes: AP Government, AP Macroeconomics, Speech and debate, Civics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-1011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.