Also called: GAO Analyst, Program Auditor
Investigates whether government programs work and whether taxpayer money is wasted.
Analysts at the Government Accountability Office, the 'congressional watchdog,' visit programs, interview officials, and dig through data. Their reports, like finding billions in improper payments, often make headlines and lead to new laws.
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. Bachelor's or master's in public policy, economics, or accounting.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Public Policy, Accounting, Economics, Public Administration.
Growing slowly.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI analyzes spending data and drafts sections; site visits, interviews and audit judgments stay human.
Classes: AP Statistics, AP Government, Accounting class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 13-2011.
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.