An online Master of Public Administration program prepares graduates for leadership roles across two of the largest employment sectors in the United States: government and nonprofit work. Government and nonprofit employers together account for nearly one-fifth of all U.S. jobs, and senior roles in both sectors consistently require or strongly prefer candidates with advanced credentials, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
MPA graduates pursue careers in local, state and federal government; nonprofit and non-governmental organizations (NGOs); public policy and advocacy; healthcare administration; and consulting. In each of these fields, the combination of policy expertise and management training that an MPA, like the one from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, provides is often the primary credential employers look for when filling senior roles.
This guide covers the top career paths for MPA graduates in government and nonprofit settings, including what each role involves, who typically hires for it and what it pays. All salary figures come from verified BLS data unless otherwise noted.
Government Careers for MPA Graduates
Government agencies at every level, local, state and federal, are among the most active employers of MPA graduates. Public service careers here offer strong job security, defined advancement paths and the chance to manage programs that affect millions of people.
Administrators and program directors in this sector regularly earn six-figure salaries, according to BLS data. The roles below are among the most common destinations for MPA graduates in government.
Policy Analyst
A policy analyst researches, evaluates and interprets public policy to help government agencies make informed decisions, often working in federal or state agencies, think tanks or consulting firms. BLS classifies the role within Management Analysts, which reports a median salary of $101,190 and 9% projected growth through 2034, much faster than average. PayScale separately reports the average base salary for MPA degree holders at $84,000, updated in February 2026.
City Manager / Government Administrator
City managers serve as the chief executive officers of municipal government, overseeing all city departments, budgets and services on behalf of elected officials. BLS classifies this role within Administrative Services and Facilities Managers, which reports a median salary of $106,880 and projects 4% growth through 2034, rewarding the executive leadership and financial skills MPA coursework builds.
Budget Analyst
Budget analysts manage government finances by analyzing spending, developing budget recommendations and ensuring fiscal responsibility across departments. BLS reports a median salary of $87,930 for this role, a direct occupational match for MPA graduates who want a career centered on public finance rather than broader administration.
Program Manager or Program Analyst
Program managers oversee the design, implementation and evaluation of government and nonprofit programs, coordinating staff, budgets and reporting requirements. Entry-level program manager and analyst roles in government typically pay $55,000 to $75,000, with compensation rising quickly as analysts take on larger programs or move into supervisory roles.
Nonprofit Careers for MPA Graduates
The United States has more than 1.8 million tax-exempt organizations registered with the IRS, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics at the Urban Institute, and most of them need experienced leaders. MPA graduates are well-suited for nonprofit leadership because the degree builds program management, grant administration, advocacy and financial oversight skills at the management level.
Many MPA programs, including those aligned with standards from National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), offer concentrations built specifically around nonprofit management. The four career paths below are common destinations for graduates applying that training outside of government.
Executive Director
Nonprofit executive directors hold the top leadership position in their organizations, responsible for strategy, fundraising, operations and board relations. Salary varies widely by size, from $60,000 to $80,000 at smaller nonprofits to $150,000 or more at larger ones, and the MPA remains a widely recognized credential for this role.
Fundraising Manager
Fundraising managers generate the resources that allow nonprofit organizations to operate, developing campaigns, cultivating donor relationships and coordinating with communications teams. Fundraising managers are not a distinct BLS occupational category, so pay varies significantly by organization size and fundraising scope.
Advocacy Director
Advocacy directors lead an organization’s efforts to influence public policy through lobbying, public education and coalition-building, pairing policy expertise with organizational leadership. This role is not a distinct BLS occupational category, so compensation reflects seniority and the scope of the organization rather than a single published median.
Grant Administrator
Grant administrators manage the process of applying for, receiving and administering funding from government agencies and foundations, drawing directly on budgeting and compliance coursework. BLS does not track this role as a distinct category but pay is typically competitive with budget analyst and program analyst roles in the same region.
Public Policy and Advocacy Careers
Many MPA graduates work at the intersection of government and civil society, taking roles in think tanks, advocacy organizations and policy institutes rather than inside a single agency or nonprofit. These roles let graduates focus on research, coalition-building and long-term policy change instead of day-to-day program administration.
Policy research roles are most closely aligned with the BLS Management Analysts category, at a median salary of $101,190. Government communications and public affairs roles vary more widely by sector and employer type.
Healthcare Administration
Healthcare administrators keep health systems and public health organizations running effectively, overseeing administrative functions, policy implementation and regulatory compliance. Many MPA graduates enter this field through public health agencies or hospital systems rather than traditional government offices.
BLS reports that Medical and Health Services Managers, the category covering healthcare administrators and public health directors, earn a median salary of $117,960, the highest-paying destination covered in this guide. Graduates focused specifically on the health sector may also want to consider SIUC’s Master of Public Health program.
What Do These Careers Pay?
The table below summarizes verified BLS salary data for the roles covered in this guide. Figures are national medians and will vary by region, employer size and years of experience.
| Occupational Category | Median Annual Salary | MPA Career Alignment |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $117,960 | Healthcare administrators, public health directors |
| Administrative Services and Facilities Managers | $106,880 | City/county administrators, government operations managers |
| Management Analysts | $101,190 | Policy analysts, program analysts, government consultants |
| Budget Analysts | $87,930 | Government budget officers, public finance analysts |
| Market Research Analysts | $76,950 | Policy research, program evaluation roles |
| MPA graduates, overall average | $84,000 | MPA degree holders across career stages (PayScale) |
*All figures are BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook medians except the final row, which reflects PayScale’s self-reported average for MPA degree holders, updated February 2026. Advocacy director, fundraising manager, grant administrator and compliance officer are common MPA career paths without a dedicated BLS occupational category, so no comparable national median exists for those roles.
Entry-level government roles typically start at $50,000 to $65,000, while nonprofit entry-level roles start $5,000 to $10,000 lower. Private-sector consulting roles for MPA graduates often start at $70,000 or more.
What Skills Does an MPA Build for These Roles?
SIUC’s online MPA program builds a core set of transferable skills that apply across government, nonprofit and policy roles. The six areas below show up consistently in job postings for the roles above.
- Policy analysis: Researching, evaluating and communicating the effectiveness of policy options
- Public finance and budgeting: Managing public resources, developing budgets and ensuring fiscal accountability
- Organizational leadership: Managing teams, building organizational capacity and navigating political environments
- Program management: Designing, implementing and evaluating public programs
- Ethics and governance: Applying ethical frameworks to public decision-making and ensuring accountability
- Communication: Writing policy documents, presenting to decision-makers and communicating with diverse stakeholders
These skills transfer across sectors, which is why MPA graduates move between government, nonprofit and consulting roles more easily than graduates of narrower degree programs. Employers in each of the roles above consistently list several of these six areas as required or preferred qualifications.
Key Takeaways
The data throughout this guide point to a few consistent patterns for anyone weighing an MPA against other career paths. Here is what stands out most clearly.
- PayScale reports the average MPA degree salary at $84,000 across all career stages, based on 2,472 survey responses updated in February 2026.
- Roles such as advocacy director, fundraising manager and grant administrator are common MPA career paths that do not have dedicated BLS occupational categories, so no publicly verifiable national median salary exists for them.
- MPA programs build policy analysis, public finance, program management, leadership and communication skills that transfer across government, nonprofit and policy settings.
- Government and nonprofit employers together account for nearly one-fifth of U.S. jobs, and senior roles in both sectors consistently favor candidates with advanced credentials.
Together, these figures suggest that an MPA pays off most clearly in roles that combine policy knowledge with management responsibility, rather than in any single job title. Graduates who move between government, nonprofit and healthcare settings over the course of a career tend to get the most value from the degree’s breadth.
Learn more about Southern Illinois University’s online Master of Public Administration program.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions below cover the details that MPA applicants and recent graduates ask most often about career paths, demand and how the degree is classified. Each answer draws on the same BLS and PayScale data referenced throughout this guide.
What jobs can an MPA get you?
An MPA qualifies graduates for government leadership roles such as policy analyst, city or county administrator, program manager and budget analyst, as well as nonprofit leadership roles such as executive director, advocacy director, fundraising manager and grant administrator. It also opens healthcare administration roles, which carry some of the highest BLS-verified salaries covered in this guide.
Are MPA degrees in demand?
Management Analysts, a key BLS category for policy analyst roles, are projected to grow 9% through 2034, much faster than average for all occupations. Government and nonprofit sectors remain large, structurally important employers with ongoing demand for credentialed managers and administrators, even as specific hiring levels shift with budget cycles and political priorities.
Is an MPA a professional degree?
Yes. An MPA is classified as a professional degree, similar in orientation to an MBA, rather than a research-focused academic degree. It is designed to prepare practitioners, not researchers, for careers in government and nonprofit leadership.
Which nonprofit roles pay the most for MPA graduates?
Among roles with direct BLS category alignment, healthcare administration pays the most, with a median salary of $117,960 for Medical and Health Services Managers. Executive director pay varies widely by organization size, reaching $150,000 or more at larger nonprofits, though it isn’t tracked in a single BLS category.
Is a career in government administration stable?
State and local government employment has historically been more stable than private-sector employment, with lower turnover and less exposure to economic downturns. Federal employment has seen more volatility in recent years amid workforce restructuring. Overall, the degree’s value lies less in a guarantee of stability and more in the breadth of sectors, government, nonprofit, healthcare and consulting, where the credential applies.
How does an MPA prepare you for nonprofit careers?
MPA programs build the policy analysis, program management, financial oversight and organizational leadership skills that nonprofit leadership roles require, the same core skills covered earlier in this guide. That combination is what nonprofit executive directors, program directors and advocacy leaders need to run resource-constrained organizations effectively.
About Southern Illinois University’s MPA Program
Southern Illinois University’s online Master of Public Administration program prepares students for leadership roles in government, nonprofit and healthcare organizations through coursework in public finance, policy analysis, organizational leadership and program evaluation. The program is designed for working professionals, with a flexible online format that lets students continue full-time employment while completing their degree.
Southern Illinois University is a public research university based in Carbondale, Illinois, with a longstanding commitment to accessible, career-focused graduate education. Learn more about the online Master of Public Administration program and how it can support a career in public service.
