Government-The Big Picture
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With more than 1.8 million civilian employees, the Federal Government, excluding the Postal Service is the Nation's largest employer.
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Job growth generated by increased homeland security needs will be offset by projected declines in other Federal sectors.
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However, many job openings should arise from the need to replace workers who retire or leave the Federal Government for other reasons.
It is important to note that the U.S. Postal Service and the Armed forces are not covered in this overview. Due to national security the employment
numbers for certain agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency, are not included in this overview either.
10 fastest growing jobs in government
(Employment in Thousands)
|
Occupation
|
Employment, 2006
|
Percent
|
|
change,
|
|
Number
|
Percent
|
2006-16
|
|
Correctional officers and jailers
|
16
|
0.8
|
13.4
|
|
Detectives and criminal investigators
|
39
|
2
|
13.4
|
|
Conservation scientists
|
8
|
0.4
|
12.2
|
|
Air traffic controllers
|
22
|
1.1
|
9.1
|
|
Eligibility interviewers, government programs
|
26
|
1.3
|
6.3
|
|
Paralegals and legal assistants
|
14
|
0.7
|
5.5
|
|
Logisticians
|
23
|
1.2
|
4
|
|
Registered nurses
|
54
|
2.7
|
4
|
|
Police and sherrif's patrol officers
|
12
|
0.6
|
3.9
|
|
Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists
|
23
|
1.2
|
3.8
|
Healthcare Careers and Education
According to the Bureau of Labor:
"The educational and training requirements for jobs in the Federal Government mirror those in the private sector for most major occupational groups.
Many jobs in managerial or professional and related occupations, for example, require a 4-year college degree.
Some, such as engineers, physicians and surgeons, and biological and physical scientists, require a bachelor's or higher degree in a specific field of
study. However, registered nurse and many technician occupations may be entered with 2 years of training after high school.
Office and administrative support workers in the government usually need only a high school diploma, although any further training or experience, such
as a junior college degree or a couple of years of relevant work experience, is an asset. Most Federal jobs in other occupations require no more than a
high school degree, although most departments and agencies prefer workers with vocational training or previous experience."
There are also other factors in play when looking at government jobs. In almost all cases applicants must be a U.S. citizen in order to qualify for a
government position. For certain positions that need certain security clearance applicants must also undergo a background investigation. Applicants who
are veterans may qualify for veteran's preference which gives them preferred status over other applicants.
Employment and Salary Outlook
Wage and salary employment in the Federal Government is projected to decline by 4.6 percent over the 2006-16 period. This decline is a result of
government cost-cutting and transitioning many duties over from the federal government to the state governments.
Some job growth will be generated by increased homeland security needs. There will also be openings due to the natural cycle of employment with people
retiring or moving on to other careers.
The distribution of Federal employment will continue to shift toward a higher proportion of professional, business, and financial operations, and
protective service workers.
A decrease in employment will be the greatest among office and administrative support occupations and production occupations. This is due to being able
to automate many of these jobs and contracting out others.
What can you expect to make in a government position? The average annual salaries of different government occupations can be found below.
Average annual salaries, 2007
|
|
|
Occupation
|
Salary
|
|
All occupations
|
$65,463
|
|
|
|
|
General attorney
|
111,304
|
|
Financial management
|
101,022
|
|
General engineering
|
100,051
|
|
Economist
|
94,098
|
|
Computer science
|
90,929
|
|
Chemistry
|
89,954
|
|
Criminal investigating
|
88,174
|
|
Microbiology
|
87,206
|
|
Architecture
|
87,128
|
|
Statistics
|
85,690
|
|
Information technology management
|
81,524
|
|
Librarian
|
80,873
|
|
Accounting
|
78,665
|
|
Chaplain
|
78,030
|
|
Ecology
|
76,511
|
|
Human resources management
|
76,503
|
|
Mine safety and health
|
73,003
|
|
Air traffic control
|
72,049
|
|
Budget analysis
|
71,267
|
|
Correctional officer
|
67,140
|
|
Nurse
|
65,345
|
|
Engineering technical
|
63,951
|
|
Border patrol agent
|
63,550
|
|
Medical technologist
|
59,840
|
|
Customs and border protection
|
59,248
|
|
Legal assistance
|
46,912
|
|
Fire protection and prevention
|
43,407
|
|
Secretary
|
42,334
|
|
Police
|
42,150
|
|
Tax examining
|
38,290
|
|
Human resources assistance
|
37,835
|
|
Nursing assistant
|
33,134
|
|
|
|
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SOURCE: U.S. Office of Personnel Management
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