Also called: Political Psychology Analyst, Leader Profiler
Studies foreign presidents, generals, and dictators so U.S. leaders understand their personalities, health, and likely next moves.
Leadership analysts read speeches, biographies, intercepts, and diplomats' notes to build profiles of foreign leaders: who they trust, how they handle stress, and what they want. Before a summit, they brief the president on the person across the table. They also track who is rising or falling inside foreign governments.
Federal GS pay with DC-area locality, 2026 estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's or master's in psychology, regional studies, or political science; a top-secret clearance.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Psychology, Political Science, International Relations, Regional Studies.
Growing about average. Small, specialized analyst cadre (approx.).
Medium risk for 10 years. AI digests speeches and reports fast; judging a leader's character and intentions stays human.
Classes: Psychology, World history, A foreign language.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-3094.
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.