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public administration (other)

Types of Degrees public administration (other) Majors Are Earning

People majoring in public administration (other) may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	53

What public administration (other) Majors Need to Know

Programs in public administration (other) develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that public administration (other) graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing public administration (other) emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a public administration (other) program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to public administration (other) careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, public administration (other) graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by public administration (other) professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for public administration (other) graduates include:

• Compliance Director
• Plant Protection Superintendent
• Health Information Manager
• Horse Racetrack Manager
• Corporation Secretary
• Research and Development Director
• Gym Manager
• Magazine Publisher
• Extermination Supervisor
• Home Service Director
• Director of Extension Work
• State Board of Nursing Educational Consultant
• Shift Manager
• Relocation Director
• Property Utilization Officer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to public administration (other) graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	61.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.0%
Master’s degree	8.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.5%
Postsecondary certificate	4.8%
Some college courses	3.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.1%
Doctoral degree	0.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in public administration (other)?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 71.7% of public administration (other) degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	38	71.7%
Men	15	28.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of public administration (other) graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	31	58.5%
Hispanic or Latino	15	28.3%
Black or African American	3	5.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	1.9%
Two or More Races	2	3.8%
Race Unknown	1	1.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do public administration (other) Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of public administration (other) graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$60,712
4 years	$65,901
5 years	$73,920

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $73,920 — roughly 22% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online public administration (other) Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for public administration (other). The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in public administration (other) Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, public administration (other) graduates earn a median of $65,901 four years after completion — roughly 73% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Public Administration	44.04
Public Administration	44.0401
Public Works Management	44.0402
Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies	44.0403

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.