Also called: State Governor
The elected chief executive of a state, running its agencies, budget, and National Guard.
Governors sign or veto laws, propose state budgets worth billions, appoint judges and agency heads, and lead emergency response during hurricanes or wildfires. Their schedule runs from early-morning briefings to evening events across the state.
Salaries range from ~$95k (Maine) to ~$250k (New York).
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, Professional school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Political Science, Law (JD), Public Administration, Business.
Growing slowly. 50 positions.
Low risk for 10 years. AI may help agencies run and draft budgets; leading a state, handling crises and making political choices stay human.
Classes: AP U.S. Government, Speech and debate, Economics, AP U.S. History.
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.