As an employer of millions of individuals, the U.S. government presents multiple career opportunities for you, usually in engineering and math(STEM), technology, science, and law enforcement.
After all, government careers will provide you with flexibility and various other benefits that private jobs typically won’t, making the prospect of working for the government immensely appealing and attractive for numerous job seekers.
In fact, chances are you might be able to secure a high-paying position, depending on your educational credentials, skills set, and experience.
In the end, working in a government job is all about enhancing the local, state, or federal government. You will likely find a corresponding position in the government that allows you to provide services to individuals, an entity, or a group that cant do the same for themselves.
Unlike private jobs, government positions have various benefits, including competitive pay, excellent work-life balance, job satisfaction, multiple advancement opportunities, and much more.
With that out of the way, let us look at a few rewarding careers to choose if you want to work in the U.S government.
Crisis manager
Public authorities controlled by the U.S. Government face various challenges, including terrorist attacks, financial meltdowns, environmental threats, epidemics, and communication and information technology failures.
These are inconceivable events that will take government-controlled organizations by surprise. However, Crisis Managers step up to the situation to assess the situation and maintain order whenever these events occur.
They’re usually employed by government agencies and help create emergency plans that follow government regulations, safety training procedures, evacuation plans, etc.
To work as a Crisis Manager, aspiring candidates need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business administration or emergency management.
However, to secure a high-paying position and improve your chances of employment, acquiring a Masters in emergency management and homeland security is a must.
According to Talent.com, the average salary for a role in crisis management is around $93,000 per year.
Air traffic controller
An Air Traffic Controller’s role is to guide pilots to safety and direct aircraft traffic to prevent accidents. Some of their essential duties include clearing aircraft for landing or takeoff, monitoring aircraft while they’re in flight, and ensuring the safety of all passengers, crew members, and pilots.
Furthermore, they coordinate the departure and arrival of airplanes, use radar systems to direct and monitor aircraft activity, provide weather condition reports to pilots, and alert airport staff when there is an emergency.
For candidates to apply for an Air Traffic Controller position, they must first obtain a bachelor’s or associate degree from the Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative program(ATC-CTI). After that, candidates with a recommendation letter need to take the Air Traffic Selection and Training Exam.
Then, they have to train at the FAA Academy, located in Oklahoma. Finally, after graduating from the FAA Academy, students need to acquire training and experience before applying for a job.
A candidate can work as an air traffic controller in a government airline or the air force.
Federal investigator
As the name suggests, a Federal Investigator’s role is to investigate incidents, crimes, and other events that come under federal jurisdiction. They make arrests, interview witnesses, collect evidence, and work with local and State Law Enforcement professionals to solve cases.
A few examples of issues that a Federal Investigator handles include organized crime, drug trafficking, tax evasion, and fraud. Generally, a Federal Agent works at a law enforcement agency such as the FBI, Secret Service, the DEA, Border Patrol, etc.
To become a Federal Agent, aspiring candidates need to obtain a bachelor’s and master’s degree in political science or criminal justice.
Moreover, candidates must also pass a drug test, medical examination, polygraph, background check, and medical test. According to Glassdoor, the salary of a federal investigator is around $63,823 per year, making it a very lucrative government career.
CBP (Customs and Border Protection) Officer
Customs and Border Protection officers work in around 328 ports of entry across the USA. Their role is to provide border security, including dealing with agriculture, trade, immigration, customs, and counterterrorism events.
Furthermore, they identify and prevent terrorists from entering the USA, illegal trafficking of people, narcotics, and contraband. Moreover, they facilitate legitimate travel and trade in and out of the USA, conduct development level duties to protect the homeland, and interact with carriers and other agencies, local and international, to guide them on compliance.
To work as a CBP officer, candidates must obtain a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, homeland security, law, or any related field. In addition, candidates also need to complete ROTC coursework if they want to land a good-paying job.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary of a CBP officer is around $86,259 per year.
Patent administrator
It is a well-known fact that the role of a Patent Administrator is to oversee inventions. These professionals typically fill applications for patents and deal with complicated processes and paperwork day in and day out.
To apply for the federal patent administrator’s role, candidates must obtain a bachelor’s degree in law, chemistry, biology, or physics.
Furthermore, they have to ensure inventors abide by patent laws while conducting legal searches in case of patent breach or fraud.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary of a patent administrator in the USA is around $72,662 per year.
Mathematician/Statistician
As a mathematician/statistician, your job will be to identify trends and carry out data analysis. Numerous US-based government agencies seek mathematicians/statisticians, including the Food and Safety Inspection Service and the FBI.
In addition, the FBI hires mathematicians/statisticians and often allows them to work as special agents worldwide.
However, to apply for these government agencies, you firstly need to obtain a bachelor’s and master’s degree in statistics or mathematics. Moreover, you might need to undergo training to work for the FBI. That said, the highest reported salary of a federally employed mathematic/statistician is about $241,600 per year.
Conclusion
In the end, you would be wrong to assume that working for the U.S government will turn you into a politician or a bureaucrat. In fact, government career options offer some of the most exciting work out there today. Not to mention, the returns are lucrative as well.
That said, the career options mentioned above will allow you to have a taste of what a government job is like. So, hurry up and choose one that interests you!
