What Can I Do With a Master’s in Public Administration?

Public administration is a dynamic field that is dedicated to serving the good of the public. As our global society faces challenges related to climate change, migration, the economy and more, public administrators are more critical than ever. Professionals trained in public affairs (public policy and public administration) are trained to lead and manage mission oriented public, private and non-profit organizations.

For individuals interested in mid- to senior-level roles related to public administration, a common credential is a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree. MPA programs teach students how to manage and implement public policies and programs as well as how to become more effective managers of public resources. As with most master’s degrees, students will also gain real-world skills that can be applied to a variety of challenges in the workplace, such as:

• Effective communication
• Leadership
• Problem-solving
• Ethics
• Policy analysis

The advanced skills and knowledge obtained in an MPA program, or a combined public policy and public administration program like California Lutheran University’s MPPA, can equip professionals to pursue a range of careers in public service and beyond.

What Career Opportunities Are Available With an MPA?

Master of Public Administration programs teach a range of broadly applicable skills to students, so graduates aren’t limited to careers as public administrators — they may not even work in the public sector. MPA and MPPA grads can work in nonprofits, local, national or international government agencies (multilateral agencies) as well as private consulting firms. Any role that is focused on improving lives and solving problems through policy at the local, national or international level is appropriate for a master’s in public administration graduate. In the public sector, these individuals may work in infrastructure development or policy analysis, while private sector professionals may use their MPA degree to perform data analysis or media relations. In addition to making a meaningful impact on important local and global issues, like climate change, migration and taxation, MPA graduates can earn a comfortable wage. The median annual salary for professionals with an MPA is $97,500 nationally and $115,900 in California (Lightcast).

Job Title*	Median Salary*
City manager	$162,700
Compliance officer	$83,300
Policy analyst	$89,900
Budget analyst	$79,100
Fundraising manager	$83,800
Public relations manager	$111,500
Health care administrator	$81,300
Advocacy director	$90,400
Grant administrator	$69,400
Operations manager	$67,500

Source: Lightcast *Completing a degree does not guarantee a position or salary. These can vary depending on factors such as years of experience, position and geographic location.

City Manager

Median Annual Salary: $162,700 (Lightcast)

City managers are responsible for overseeing all departments in municipal government, ensuring that government employees are able to work well together. Typically, City managers work with a city council to meet goals and make sure that the city is operating as intended.

These officials have a profound impact on their communities, but their importance isn’t limited to just their municipality — city managers can make a global impact. For example, by supporting the implementation of policies related to conservation and reduced emissions, even small municipalities can take a meaningful step toward climate change goals.

Compliance Officer

Median Annual Salary: $83,300 (Lightcast)

Compliance officers work across various industries in both the private and public sectors, ensuring organizations adhere to applicable laws, regulations and internal policies. In the public sector, they may serve in government agencies to maintain compliance at local, state, or federal levels. Their role is essential in upholding legal and ethical standards, which can significantly impact communities.

Policy Analyst

Median Annual Salary: $89,900 (Lightcast)

Policy analysts play an important role in shaping policy that can have continuous impacts both locally and globally. These specialized data analysts are tasked with evaluating the success of policy and communicating this information to those who develop and implement policy.

Working in a range of organizations, from municipal government agencies to the federal government to national non-government organizations, a policy analyst’s impact on public policy can’t be overstated. Every policy affects real people’s lives — sometimes those of a whole nation’s population. These professionals, therefore, can make a difference and improve the lives of populations that are vulnerable to issues related to:

• Climate change
• Welfare distribution
• Health care inequity

Budget Analyst

Median Annual Salary: $79,100 (Lightcast)

Budget analysts are tasked with analyzing accounting data to budget more effectively. They typically evaluate budget data in order to identify areas for improvement or how to most effectively allocate resources, which can have a powerful impact on the local, national and global level, enabling organizations to more effectively meet their operational goals.

Fundraising Manager

Median Annual Salary: $83,800 (Lightcast)

Fundraising managers are tasked with management in roles where financial support must be raised in either private or public settings. Their responsibilities can vary widely depending on the type of fundraising they do, but typically will include:

• Communicate with stakeholders
• Propose events and initiatives
• Delegate tasks to individuals such as event planners
• Oversee fundraising teams
• Evaluating the extent to which financial goals are met

Fundraising managers can have a significant impact on national and international challenges by fostering successful initiatives, which can be highly relevant to government organizations, nonprofits and private businesses.

Public Relations Manager

Median Annual Salary: $111,500 (Lightcast)

Public relations managers are leaders that are responsible for ensuring a positive perception of their organization or client(s). They can work in the public, nonprofit or private sectors, and their responsibilities may include:

• Establishing PR strategies
• Drafting and/or approving press releases
• Leading PR teams
• Working collaboratively with teams (especially those responsible for public engagement like marketing and sales)

PR managers’ impacts can be significant given they can contribute to the organization’s ability to carry out its mission by supporting positive perception.

Health Care Administrator

Median Annual Salary: $81,300 (Lightcast)

Health care administrators ensure that health care organizations can operate effectively, typically overseeing high-level administrative tasks such as:

• Establishing internal policy
• Overseeing various departments
• Implementing financial strategy
• Monitoring compliance efforts

Health care administrators are responsible for the safe and effective operations of health care organizations, which can lead to profound improvements in patient outcomes. When health care leaders share their expertise with policy professionals — through advisement and research — their impacts can be even more expansive, leading to better health care policy for healthier, happier communities.

Advocacy Director

Median Annual Salary: $90,400 (Lightcast)

Advocacy directors are responsible for leading advocacy strategies to success, typically in nonprofits, foundations and private organizations. By developing and implementing strategies that influence public policy, organizations are able to support the environment, health care patients, marginalized groups and many others. Advocacy directors are strong leaders that can have a powerful impact through lobbying, campaigning and grassroots organizing.

Grant Administrator

Median Annual Salary: $69,400 (Lightcast)

In grant-awarding institutions, grant administrators might be responsible for allocating grants and overseeing the approval process grant applications. On the other hand, in grant-seeking institutions, they might source grant opportunities, as well as draft and submit applications. Grant administrators can have significant impacts at local and global levels, as the funding that they provide and/or secure can further broader agendas in public policy and administration.

Operations Manager

Median Annual Salary: $67,500 (Lightcast)

Operations managers oversee organizations to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness, often tasked with:

• Establishing internal procedures
• Overseeing teams
• Ensuring productive cross-functional relationships
• Setting the stage for a positive work culture

These manager’s organizational impacts can be significant, and they’re often responsible for an organization’s ability to meet its goals and for how employees and volunteers are treated.

Key Public Affairs Skills

Clearly, professionals with an MPA can operate in a wide range of capacities across roles, organizations and industries. However, there are certain key skills that are required in nearly all public administration roles. An MPA helps strengthen these skills, preparing students for a flourishing career in the public administration and public policy fields and beyond.

Communication Skills

In public administration, professionals rely on their communication skills to help effect change, communicate with critical stakeholders and share their ideas for policy implementation. To do this, they rely on verbal and nonverbal communication (or body language), written communication and mass communication. Each of these distinct disciplines will be taught and/or practiced in a Master of Public Administration degree.

Leadership

Many public administration professionals hold roles at the management or leadership level, making leadership competencies critical in this field. As leaders, MPA graduates enable their peers to more effectively lead and support teams, take initiative and forge new strategies for success.

Problem Solving

It is critical for public administration professionals to think critically about problems. Whether proposing policy or helping a team work together more effectively, adaptable problem-solving skills can be a strong asset.

Ethics

The mission of public administration professionals is to support the needs and desires of the The understanding and application of ethical frameworks involves a broad set of skills that is important to the mission of public administration professionals: to support the needs and desires of the public. Ethics isn’t just about knowing right from wrong, it’s also about advocating for people and understanding different cultures that exist within a society. In an MPA program, students will learn the underpinnings behind common ethical guidelines so that they can analyze dynamic issues through a stable ethical lens.

Policy Analysis

Policy analysis is the process of examining and evaluating the policy options that address public problems. Policy analysis can be conducted on existing or proposed policy, and its ultimate goal is to understand what policy solutions are the most effective and the most feasible to implement. Conducting policy analysis requires skills in statistical analysis, sociology, data management and data analysis.

Is an MPA Worth It?

One key factor that makes an MPA worth the investment is that a master’s degree is a valuable asset in the job market. A survey by CareerBuilder states that 33% of employers are hiring workers with master’s degrees for positions that had previously been held by those with four-year degrees. In addition, master’s degree graduates tend to make more than individuals with a bachelor’s degree or less. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, master’s degree holders earned a median salary of $90,324 in 2023, with bachelor’s degree holders earning only $77,636. The median salary for professionals with an MPA is slightly higher: $97,500 nationally and $115,900 in California, according to Lightcast.

One way to see an even stronger ROI is to attend a program that is competitively priced and offers a broad set of skills that are applicable to a wide range of careers. At Cal Lutheran, the Master of Public Policy and Administration degree checks both of those boxes and offers a broad-based public affairs education. This combined MPA and MPP degree offers an intensive public administration and public policy education, preparing students for successful careers with a well-rounded curriculum. The program also offers a more affordable tuition rate than many other universities, allowing increased access to high-quality education and the ability to earn back the cost of your education quickly.

Earn Your MPPA From the Cal Lutheran School of Management

Gain a big-picture understanding of the challenges faced by the public and private sectors, and hone specialized strategies to create and implement innovative solutions with Cal Lutheran’s MPPA program.

The School of Management at Cal Lutheran is dedicated to producing graduates who are well prepared to succeed in their personal and professional lives — who lead, think, communicate and follow through with sustained excellence. As a Cal Lutheran School of Management student, you’ll learn from experienced faculty and benefit from personalized attention in small class sizes.

Successful graduates include Andrew Powers, city manager of the City of Thousand Oaks, and Mike Ramirez, city manager of Carpinteria, among others. Many of our other alums are pursuing PhDs at Virginia Tech, Pepperdine and other universities.

Download a program brochure or start your application for the Master of Public Policy and Administration.