Also called: Chief Financial Officer (Government), Comptroller
Runs all the money for a city or county: budgets, taxes, debt, investments and financial reports.
You present the budget to the city council, explain why property taxes need to rise 2%, meet with rating agencies about the city's credit and approve a $50 million bond sale for a new water plant.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 12 years after high school. Bachelor's in accounting, finance or public administration; many have an MPA or CPA.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Public Administration, Accounting, Finance.
Growing much faster than average (about 10% over 10 years). Tracks financial managers.
Low risk for 10 years. AI speeds budgeting and reports, but answering to the council and public for every tax dollar keeps this role human.
Classes: AP Government, Accounting class, AP Macroeconomics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-3031.
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.