MPA Careers

If you aspire to have a career that’s personally rewarding and offers the opportunity to better your community, public administration might be the right fit for you. Whether you’re running a nonprofit, heading a government agency, or shaping public policy, you can take satisfaction in knowing that your work is making a difference in people’s lives.

By earning an online Master of Public Administration degree from Ohio University, you can prepare for wide leadership positions in the public, nonprofit and private sectors. You can complete the 36-credit program fully online, and graduate in as few as two years.

We offer four concentrations — Crisis and Emergency Management, Public Leadership and Management, Non-Profit Management, and State and Local Government Management — giving you the flexibility to further specialize in the area that aligns with your career goals.

What Is the Job Outlook for Public Administration Professionals?

Public administration professionals play a vital role in keeping our society running smoothly, and they hold key positions throughout the public and private sectors.

While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not include public administrator as a profession in its Occupational Analysis Handbook, it does anticipate strong growth in many areas where public administration degree holders typically work. For example:

• Employment of social and community services managers is expected to increase 15% from 2020 to 2030, with an average of about 18,300 new job openings each year over the decade.
• The number of jobs for management analysts is projected to grow 14% during the same period, with 99,400 openings each year.
• Jobs for administrative services managers are projected to rise by 9%, with 29,200 new openings each year from 2020 to 2030.

Where Do Public Administrators Work?

One of the benefits of a career in this field is the diverse opportunities you can pursue. Public administrators work in a wide range of settings, including:

• Local government
• State government
• Federal government
• Nonprofit organizations
• Philanthropic organizations
• Non-governmental organizations
• Educational institutions
• Private corporations

Career Options for Master of Public Administration Graduates

Your online master’s in public administration can help you qualify for leadership positions throughout the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Below are examples of job titles you can hold, along with median salaries.

Budget Analyst

Median salary: $78,970*

Budget analysts help organizations and agencies manage their finances by preparing budgets and monitoring spending. Duties associated with this job can include preparing annual reports, analyzing data, making funding recommendations, monitoring spending, and advising senior managers on spending decisions.

Community Service Manager

Median salary: $69,600*

Community service managers supervise and coordinate programs and organizations that support public well-being. Responsibilities can include community outreach, procuring funding, implementing process improvements, and raising public awareness of the organization’s mission.

Emergency Management Director

Median salary: $76,250*

Emergency management directors are responsible for planning and preparing for emergencies and natural disasters. Their responsibilities can include researching best practices, ensuring plans meet government regulations, disseminating information to the public, and coordinating with local, state or federal agencies and public safety officials.

Executive Director of a Nonprofit Organization

Median salary: $79,329**

Executive directors of nonprofit organizations serve a similar role to that of a CEO. They are responsible for overseeing all aspects of the nonprofit’s operations and ensuring it is working toward achieving its mission. In addition, they are often in charge of supervising staff and volunteers, meeting financial goals and reporting to the board of directors.

Financial Manager

Median salary: $134,180*

Financial managers help ensure organizations are operating in a fiscally responsible way. Roles and responsibilities may include developing long-term financial plans, preparing reports and forecasts, supervising employees who work with budgets, monitoring spending, analyzing market trends, and advising senior leaders on finance-related issues.

Human Resources Manager

Median salary: $121,220*

Human resources managers help organizations attract and retain the best talent. Their responsibilities can include interviewing and hiring employees, strategic planning, serving as a liaison between management and staff, overseeing benefits programs, and ensuring the organization has a safe and productive work environment.

Operations Manager

Median salary: $103,650*

Operations managers are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day functions of an organization. Their duties can include allocating resources, formulating policies, managing staff and ensuring productivity and financial goals are being met. Operations manager roles are found in the public and private sectors.

Urban Planner

Median salary: $75,950*

Urban planners play an important role in building communities. A key component of their job is anticipating the future needs of towns and cities as their populations grow and infrastructures require revitalization. Roles and responsibilities associated with this job include conducting feasibility studies, overseeing construction projects, ensuring work complies with laws and regulations, and collaborating with government officials, developers, and the public.

*BLS
**PayScale.com

Lifelong Career Support

With so many opportunities available to you, choosing the right career track might feel overwhelming. That’s where we can help. When you earn your Master of Public Administration from OHIO, you become a Bobcat for life.

Whether it’s lifetime access to career coaching or networking opportunities with more than 250,000 fellow OHIO alumni, you can take comfort in knowing that we’ll be with you every step of the way as you strive to achieve your professional goals.