Also called: CRS Analyst, Legislative Research Analyst
A nonpartisan expert who answers lawmakers' research questions on any topic, from drones to dairy.
The Congressional Research Service is Congress's own think tank. Analysts write reports explaining complex issues, brief members privately, and answer urgent questions in hours. State legislatures have similar nonpartisan research offices.
Federal GS pay scale.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Master's or higher in a policy-related field.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Public Policy, Political Science, Economics, International Relations.
Growing slowly. Small, stable offices.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI drafts background reports quickly; nonpartisan trust, rapid custom answers for members of Congress and briefings stay human.
Classes: AP Government, AP U.S. History, AP English Language.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-3099.
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.