Also called: Political Strategist, General Consultant
Advises candidates on how to win: message, ads, polling, and strategy.
Consultants juggle several campaigns at once, from mayors to senators. A day might include reviewing a new poll, approving a TV ad script, and coaching a candidate before a debate. Top strategists become famous; most start as field organizers.
Very wide: top firm partners earn millions in big cycles; many consultants earn modest incomes.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's degree plus years of campaign experience; no license required.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Political Science, Communications, Marketing, Economics.
Growing about average. Campaign jobs follow the election cycle: busy in even years, quieter in between.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI drafts messages, tests ads and crunches polls; winning candidates' trust and making the big strategic calls stay human.
Classes: AP U.S. Government, Speech and debate, Statistics, Psychology.
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.