Also called: CM
Runs a political campaign day to day: staff, budget, schedule, and strategy.
The campaign manager is the CEO of a temporary startup that shuts down on Election Day. They hire staff, decide where to spend every dollar, and make fast calls during crises. For a Senate race they manage hundreds of people; for a city council race, maybe three.
Local races pay little; statewide and presidential campaigns pay much more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's degree plus several cycles of campaign work.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Political Science, Communications, Public Policy, Business.
Growing about average. Campaign jobs follow the election cycle: busy in even years, quieter in between.
Low risk for 10 years. AI handles data and drafting chores; leading a temporary team, budget and candidate under pressure stays human.
Classes: AP U.S. Government, Speech and debate, Business CTE class, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 13-1199.
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.