One of the best ways to contribute to the development of society and promote American progress is through public service jobs. If you are looking for rewarding work with optimal benefits and economic opportunities, you might want to consider a government job. If you want to know about public service jobs that pay well, you’ve come to the right place.
This article will tell you about the best government jobs available. The paragraphs below will list salaries and give you tips on how to get hired by a federal agency and receive impressive employee benefits. Scroll down and take a look to learn more!
How Much Does a Public Service Job Pay?
The average annual wage for a public service job is $47,272 per year, according to ZipRecruiter. This equates to about $23 per hour. About 75 percent of public service workers earn $53,000 per year, while the remaining 25 percent have annual salaries of $30,000. The highest-paying government jobs can bring in an annual income of $83,000.
The main advantage of these occupations is competitive wages. With a job at a government agency, you can earn a high salary and contribute to a better America with your civil service. In addition, you will have the opportunity to get promoted in most fields.
How to Get a High-Paying Public Service Job
There is a wide variety of public service careers, from working in public schools to working for the U.S. Postal Service, and each one requires different skills. To get a job in the public sector, you must follow specific steps. Pay attention to the information below so that you can learn how to expand your career path and land public sector jobs.
Step 1: Create your USAJOBS Account
You must register on USAJOBS.gov to apply for a public service job. Create a profile to apply to any job available in the federal administration. You must be precise in writing your personal and professional info.
Step 2: Search for the Right Federal Jobs
You can find jobs by searching for keywords or locations in the search engine of the government website. In addition, for a more precise search, you can filter your target job through indicators such as pay grade, agency, employment type, and eligibility requirements.
Step 3: Review the Job/Vacancy Announcement
After finding a job that suits you, review the advertisement, requirements, and qualifications for the position. Read the occupational questionnaire before submitting your job application. Look carefully at who can apply. For example, there are open positions only for US citizens, veterans, and federal workers, and some require a certain level of education or level of responsibility.
Step 4: Apply Immediately
In this step, you must consider the level of competition. Apply for job positions appropriate to your profile and experience. Make sure that the skills requested in the ad are compatible with those of your professional profile. Submit all the documents required by the federal agency where you want to work.
Step 5: The Federal Job Process Begins
Hiring officials will review your job application. These recruiters then analyze whether you meet the necessary standards for the position according to the agency’s policy. If you successfully pass the review process, you will attend an interview with the hiring officials. Job interviews can be with a panel, in-person, on video, or by phone.
What Public Service Jobs Pay the Most? The Highest-Paying Public Service Jobs You Should Consider
Next, you will read a selection of the 10 best public service jobs, and learn about their outlooks and average salaries. Analyze each of them and choose an option appropriate to your professional profile, goals, and aspirations.
Cyber Workforce Program Manager
- Average salary: $94,777
- Job growth: 33%
- Companies hiring: Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security
This cyber security professional is in charge of IT networks and capabilities. This expert is charged with preventing cyberattacks and cyberterrorism. The cyber workforce program manager is a linchpin in American intelligence.
Auditor
- Average salary: $73,560
- Job growth: 7%
- Companies hiring: Air Force, Department of Defense, Veteran Affairs
An auditor is a professional in charge of reviewing financial statements to ensure compliance with the regulations of federal agencies. Other key tasks of this public service job include organizing financial records, identifying and suggesting cost-saving methods, and producing reports for company stakeholders.
Civil Engineer
Civil engineers are responsible for conceptualizing, designing, building, and maintaining infrastructures and systems. In this job, you must analyze field studies, apply for construction permits, and assess risks in the execution of public works. You will also need to calculate federal budget costs for national infrastructure.
Compliance Officer
- Average salary: $75,620
- Job growth: N/A
- Companies hiring: Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
A compliance officer ensures that private companies comply with federal, state, and local regulations. Public sector employees in this role need to organize documents, identify non-compliance risks, and conduct investigations.
Budget Analyst
- Average salary: $78,970
- Job growth: 5%
- Companies hiring: Department of Agriculture, Department of the Army, Forest Service
A budget analyst helps organizations, federal agencies, and companies build their budgets. The focus of this job is to monitor government spending and cost-benefit analysis. The educational requirements for this role will likely include an advanced degree in finance or a related field.
Border Patrol Agent
A border patrol agent is an official in charge of safeguarding the borders of the nation. A public service worker in this profession guarantees stability in migratory flows and the traffic of citizens across US borders.
Federal Investigator
- Average salary: $71,558
- Job growth: 13%
- Companies hiring: US Secret Service, Coast Guard, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
This job requires security data analysis and research skills. The main functions of this professional are gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, making arrests, and working with state and local law enforcement professionals. FBI officials fight tax evasion, financial fraud, drug trafficking, organized crime, and prevent terrorist attacks.
Registered Nurse
- Average salary: $80,010
- Job growth: 9%
- Companies hiring: Department of Health and Human Services, Air Force
This health services professional must take care of patients and administer their medications. Tasks include taking vital signs and assessing patients’ health recovery. The registered nurse should help the doctor in the application of treatments. Workers in this field are especially vital and in demand during the coronavirus pandemic.
Human Resources Specialist
- Average salary: $63,490
- Job growth: 10%
- Companies hiring: Department of the Air Force, Department of Veteran Affairs, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
These federal government employees perform crucial services to help people find employment and succeed in their jobs. These specialists cover tasks such as reviewing resumes, conducting employment screenings, and scheduling interviews to hire new employees and social workers in the government agencies where they work.
Air Traffic Controller
- Average salary: $130,420
- Job growth: 4%
- Companies hiring: Federal Aviation Administration, Air National Guard Units
The work of the air traffic controller involves great responsibility. This worker directs air traffic and guides pilots to safe landings. In addition, the air traffic controller must constantly monitor US airspace. These professionals monitor airplanes on takeoffs, flights, and landings to avoid accidents.
Best Public Service Jobs: Top Companies that Hire for Public Service Jobs
Federal agencies and state agencies require responsible professionals. If you have the qualities necessary to assist in the public management of the country, then apply for a public service job in one of these organizations. Below you will see the most important federal agencies for public work candidates.
- US Department of State: This body expands American diplomacy globally, participating in international conflict resolution.
- US Postal Service: This institution organizes the postal system and manages mail delivery to over 155 million households throughout the country.
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The federal agency is in charge of preventing epidemics and caring for public health. The CDC also investigates diseases and their potential cures or treatments.
- US Food and Drug Administration (FDA): The FDA also protects public health, but by focusing on human/veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices.
- Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): CISA is the agency in charge of containing cyber attacks and protecting the “.gov” network of the federal government.
Where to Find a Public Service Job
If you are looking for a well-paid position in a public service job, read below to learn about the main resources available to apply as a federal worker. These are three organizations where you will see attractive job offers in your professional area. Take note and prepare to serve your nation.
USAJOBS
This is the official web portal of the federal government to search for employment in the public sector. This online space, linked to the US Department of Labor, offers all the necessary social benefits for public service workers and their families. In addition, the system is open to the entire population.
The Washington Post – Government and Public Service Jobs
The famous Washington Post newspaper has a special section on its website to find various public service job options. The advantage of this search engine is that it has a wide variety of job offers in many areas.
Utility Workers Union of America
Utility Workers Union of America is one of the many nonprofit organizations that protect the right of professionals and other citizens to get a job. This nonpartisan organization offers guidance to Americans to participate in any field of public sector work.
Skills Required to Land Your First Public Service Job
An ideal candidate for these jobs must possess the technical, administrative, or analytical management skills that pertain to each role. Remember that your skills must be compatible with the requirements of the job to which you will apply. These are the most important qualities in becoming a good federal worker.
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Strategic and Operational Planning
As a public servant, you must organize the logistics and all administrative processes in any federal agency. Responsibilities can range from defending the telecommunications network from cyberattacks to protecting the country’s borders.
E-Administration
The ability to handle computer programs is essential to work in government agencies related to cyber security. In other federal agencies, you must have technical skills in information technology tools to perform administrative functions. Most federal workers have a basic understanding of digital tools.
Evaluate, Monitor, and Control Public-Private Activities
There are public service jobs that require comptroller skills. One of the main roles of administrative positions in federal agencies is to oversee the relationship between the public and private sectors. Supervising budgets, supervising contracts, regulating companies, and avoiding tax evasion are the most frequent tasks in these fields.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Get a Public Service Job?
Yes, a coding bootcamp can help if the public service job you want requires technical skills. Studying for a career in computer science, data science, or cyber security will give you useful skills for a public service job in computer science fields. Advanced degrees and coding bootcamps are a great way to prove you have the ability to perform well in a government role.
For example, if you wish to work for The Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a cyber security bootcamp is a great way to build up the necessary educational background. You’ll gain programming and hacking knowledge to combat cyberattack threats against the country’s technological infrastructure.
Is a Public Service Job For Me?
Yes, a public service job is a great option. A career in federal service can help you earn an impressive salary and experience a variety of benefits, such as federal holidays off, stable employment, and economic security. Being part of the federal government can be a useful experience for your professional and personal growth.
Public Service Jobs that Pay Well FAQ
According to Indeed, the highest-paid federal government jobs in the US are compliance officer, civil engineer, auditor, mechanical engineer, mathematician, political affairs officer, certified registered nurse anesthetist, and physician.
The best way to get a government job is to submit your job application on USAJOBS.gov and hope to score an interview. After you get through the application process, you will have to wait for the decision of the hiring officials.
The best way to be successful in a government job is to make efficiency your main objective. The government values employees who can get the job done with minimal oversight because this helps cut down on costs.
Yes, government jobs often offer better benefits than private jobs. As a federal employee, you gain job security, work-life balance, bonuses, fixed working hours, medical benefits, and good retirement benefits. The benefits of government jobs are difficult to overlook.
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