Also called: Agency Inspector General, City Inspector General
The independent watchdog of a government agency or city, leading investigations into fraud, waste, and abuse.
Inspectors general run offices of auditors and special agents, decide which programs to investigate, and report findings to Congress or city councils, sometimes uncovering huge frauds. The job requires independence and courage, since you investigate your own government.
Federal IGs earn executive-level pay; local IGs vary. Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 15 years after high school. Usually a J.D., CPA, or long investigative career; appointed (federal IGs by the President with Senate confirmation).
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school, On-the-job training. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Accounting, Political Science, Criminal Justice.
Growing about average. About 75 federal IGs plus a growing number of state and city IGs.
Low risk for 10 years. AI flags suspicious spending patterns; leading investigations and reporting to Congress stay human.
Classes: AP Government, Accounting, Speech and Debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-1011.
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.