Also called: Alderman, Councilor, Selectboard Member
Votes on a city's laws, budget, zoning, and services as an elected local representative.
City council members review zoning requests, vote on budgets for parks and police, and listen to residents speak at public meetings that can run late into the night. In big cities it's a full-time, well-paid job; in small towns it's a part-time civic duty.
Small-town stipends to $150k+ in big cities like Los Angeles.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. No required degree; you must win an election. Most have a bachelor's and many are lawyers or business owners.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Political Science, Urban Studies, Public Administration.
Growing slowly.
Low risk for 10 years. AI can summarize zoning files and public comments; hearing neighbors and voting on local issues stay human.
Classes: AP U.S. Government, Speech and debate, Civics, Economics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-1031.
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.