The people who collect, count, invest, and safeguard public money, and even engrave the money itself.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
Government Finance Director: Oversees a city, county, or state's money: budgets, debt, investments, and accounting. Typical pay $145k.
Public Pension Investment Officer: Invests billions of dollars in retirement savings for teachers, police, and other public workers. Typical pay $150k.
State Treasurer: An elected statewide official who manages a state's cash, investments, and borrowing. Typical pay $140k.
Municipal Finance Advisor: Helps cities, schools, and states borrow money by selling bonds to build bridges, schools, and water plants. Typical pay $120k.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
IRS Revenue Agent: Audits the tax returns of businesses and wealthy individuals to make sure they paid what they owe. Typical pay $98k.
IRS Revenue Officer: Collects unpaid taxes from people and businesses that owe the government money. Typical pay $88k.
Bank Examiner: Inspects banks and financial companies to make sure they're safe and following the rules. Typical pay $90k.
Government Budget Analyst: Builds and tracks a government agency's budget, deciding how money is planned and spent. Typical pay $87k.
Government Auditor: Checks whether government agencies spend money properly and follow the rules. Typical pay $85k.
Government Accountant: Keeps the financial records for government agencies and prepares official financial reports. Typical pay $81k.
Property Tax Assessor: Estimates the value of every home and business in an area so property taxes can be calculated. Typical pay $66k.
Customs Import Specialist: Decides what tariffs imported goods owe and catches products breaking import laws. Typical pay $90k.
Banknote & Coin Engraver: Hand-engraves the detailed art on U.S. paper money or sculpts the designs on coins. Typical pay $95k.
State Lottery Drawing Manager: Runs and secures state lottery drawings so the results are provably fair. Typical pay $70k.
Mutilated Currency Examiner: Works for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing reconstructing burned, flooded, or chewed-up money so people can get it replaced. Typical pay $55k.
U.S. Mint Coin Production Worker: Runs the huge presses and machines at the U.S. Mint that strike billions of coins every year. Typical pay $55k.
Tax Policy Analyst: Studies how tax laws affect people and the economy and estimates what proposed tax changes would cost. Typical pay $100k.
Taxpayer Advocate Case Advocate: Works inside the IRS but on the taxpayer's side, untangling stuck refunds, wrongful seizures, and problems people couldn't fix themselves. Typical pay $80k.
Banknote Plate Printer: Runs the giant intaglio presses that print U.S. paper money at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington or Fort Worth. Typical pay $85k.
Starter: fastest way in
Tax Examining Technician: Reviews tax returns for errors and contacts taxpayers to fix simple problems. Typical pay $48k.
County Tax Clerk: Collects property tax payments and answers taxpayer questions at a county office. Typical pay $43k.
Unclaimed Property Specialist: Reunites people with forgotten money, like old bank accounts or uncashed checks, held by the state. Typical pay $48k.
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.