Public Administration Major Guide: Overview and RoEDU™ Opportunities 2025

The Public Administration major builds core foundations in this discipline and prepares students with practical, career-relevant skills. Use RoEDU™ to find programs that match your goals.

Within Communications, students often explore key subfields and specializations that provide targeted expertise.

Graduates translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact across sectors through hands-on projects and internships.

As part of Communications, this major connects to diverse, high-demand fields and interdisciplinary pathways.

Salary Outlook

Entry-level salary
$86,709

Typical starting pay soon after graduation.

Mid-career salary (10y)
$117,573

Estimated after a decade of experience.

Experienced salary (20y)
$135,510

Seasoned professionals at ~20 years.

Weighted median over last 5 years
CAGR 1.4%

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) summarizes average yearly change across the observed period.

Estimated lifetime earnings

40 years, present value
$2,611,253

Employment-weighted across mapped SOCs; entry ≈ 85% of median; historical CAGR shown for last 5y; projections capped at 3% CAGR; lifetime is 40-year present value at 3% discount.

Career Opportunities & Salaries

Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) • Median wages, employment, and growth projections

OccupationMedian WageTotal JobsGrowth RateEducation
Chief Executives
SOC: 11-1011
Occupation: Chief Executives
$206,420
211,850
N/A
N/A
General and Operations Managers
SOC: 11-1021
Occupation: General and Operations Managers
$102,950
3,584,420
N/A
N/A
Legislators
SOC: 11-1031
Occupation: Legislators
$44,810
26,510
N/A
N/A
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
SOC: 11-3071
Occupation: Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
$102,010
213,000
N/A
N/A
Construction Managers
SOC: 11-9021
Occupation: Construction Managers
$106,980
348,330
N/A
N/A
Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
SOC: 11-9131
Occupation: Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
$92,730
13,810
N/A
N/A

Historical Career Trends (2020-2024)

Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020-2024) • Salary trends and employment growth over 5 years

Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers

5.8%
5-Year Growth
YearMedian WageEmployment
2024$102,010213,000
2023$99,200198,780
2022$98,560169,910
2021$98,230144,640
2020$96,390132,210

Colleges offering Public Administration

George Washington University

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$46k

Earnings

$78k

University of Notre Dame

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$30k

Earnings

$84k

San Jose State University

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$14k

Earnings

$70k

National University

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$29k

Earnings

$67k

Illinois Institute of Technology

RoEdu™

999

Net Price

$26k

Earnings

$76k