Other degree levels for this field: Bachelor's degrees
This page shows what graduates with a master's degree in Public Administration earn four years after graduating, what they typically owe, the schools that report these figures (listed alphabetically), and the occupations linked to this field by the federal CIP-to-SOC crosswalk. It covers 211 reporting units (schools, or groups of campuses that report together) with these figures.
Median earnings, 4 years after graduation
$81,408
All graduates nationally
Middle half of graduates nationally
$60,052–$109,056
25th to 75th percentile
In context: across the 61 master's-degree fields with earnings reported by at least 30 schools or school groups, the typical field's median is $74,139; this field's median of $81,408 is 10% above that. The middle half of its graduates differ by $49,004 (25th to 75th percentile), close to the typical field's $44,659, so where a graduate lands within the field varies a lot. These are group figures, not predictions for any graduate.
Schools reporting earnings for Public Administration graduates
Listed alphabetically to start; MajorPays does not rank schools. Click a column heading to sort; shift-click more headings to sort by several columns as a group. Median earnings four years after graduation, master's degree, for programs with at least 30 graduates measured (124 reporting units; campuses that share one federal school ID report together and appear once). Schools with fewer graduates in the major, or whose figure the Department of Education withholds, are not listed.
| School | State | Median earnings, 4 years after | Graduates measured |
|---|
| American Public University System | WV | $85,238 | 83 |
| American University | DC | $107,866 | 249 |
| Anna Maria College | MA | $123,207 | 71 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion (reported together with 1 other campus under one federal school ID) | AZ | $75,141 | 90 |
| Arkansas State University | AR | $76,032 | 158 |
| Ashford University | CA | $63,856 | 109 |
| Barry University | FL | $81,625 | 111 |
| Belhaven University | MS | $52,369 | 64 |
| Bellevue University | NE | $78,464 | 42 |
| Binghamton University | NY | $83,478 | 30 |
| Boise State University | ID | $65,231 | 33 |
| Boston University | MA | $106,292 | 34 |
| Bowie State University | MD | $98,800 | 37 |
| Brigham Young University | UT | $87,075 | 70 |
| California Baptist University | CA | $98,056 | 56 |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills | CA | $89,849 | 117 |
| California State University-East Bay | CA | $99,879 | 108 |
| California State University-Long Beach | CA | $86,271 | 137 |
| California State University-Northridge | CA | $92,353 | 313 |
| California State University-San Bernardino | CA | $85,338 | 62 |
| Capella University | MN | $75,626 | 90 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $84,419 | 31 |
| Central Michigan University | MI | $79,416 | 134 |
| Clemson University | SC | $92,184 | 36 |
| Cleveland State University | OH | $72,439 | 41 |
| Columbia Southern University | AL | $74,452 | 76 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $115,874 | 233 |
| Cornell University | NY | $100,325 | 34 |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | NY | $93,751 | 274 |
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | NY | $83,931 | 248 |
| DePaul University | IL | $86,093 | 91 |
| Drake University | IA | $83,764 | 70 |
| Eastern Kentucky University | KY | $59,419 | 38 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus (reported together with 1 other campus under one federal school ID) | NJ | $87,309 | 89 |
| Florida International University | FL | $79,414 | 119 |
| Florida State University | FL | $79,921 | 46 |
| Franklin University | OH | $71,172 | 40 |
| George Mason University | VA | $100,692 | 105 |
| George Washington University | DC | $113,891 | 76 |
| Georgia State University | GA | $79,793 | 60 |
| Grand Canyon University | AZ | $76,752 | 407 |
| Grand Valley State University | MI | $71,404 | 55 |
| Hamline University | MN | $93,090 | 40 |
| Harvard University | MA | $177,149 | 153 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $85,494 | 213 |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis | IN | $84,078 | 60 |
| Johns Hopkins University | MD | $122,517 | 41 |
| Kean University | NJ | $72,414 | 39 |
| Kent State University at Kent | OH | $87,606 | 34 |
| Long Island University | NY | $77,502 | 33 |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | LA | $72,035 | 34 |
| Marist University | NY | $99,846 | 110 |
| Middlebury College (reported together with 1 other campus under one federal school ID) | VT | $89,916 | 51 |
| Missouri State University-Springfield | MO | $59,405 | 37 |
| National University | CA | $88,988 | 135 |
| New York University | NY | $109,946 | 250 |
| North Carolina Central University | NC | $65,374 | 75 |
| Northeastern University (reported together with 1 other campus under one federal school ID) | MA | $87,852 | 32 |
| Northern Illinois University | IL | $82,907 | 45 |
| Northwestern University | IL | $98,798 | 80 |
| Norwich University | VT | $85,253 | 37 |
| Nova Southeastern University | FL | $71,298 | 31 |
| Oakland University | MI | $79,238 | 30 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | $74,606 | 102 |
| Ohio University-Main Campus | OH | $70,572 | 59 |
| Old Dominion University | VA | $84,367 | 53 |
| Park University | MO | $80,800 | 38 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus (reported together with 2 other campuses under one federal school ID) | PA | $87,710 | 125 |
| Portland State University | OR | $99,801 | 59 |
| Purdue University Global | IN | $64,832 | 87 |
| Rutgers University-Camden (reported together with 2 other campuses under one federal school ID) | NJ | $74,870 | 230 |
| San Diego State University | CA | $91,303 | 34 |
| San Francisco State University | CA | $108,093 | 35 |
| Seattle University | WA | $94,446 | 47 |
| South University-Columbia (reported together with 4 other campuses under one federal school ID) | SC | $47,649 | 49 |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | IL | $74,407 | 44 |
| Southern University and A & M College (reported together with 1 other campus under one federal school ID) | LA | $55,482 | 30 |
| Southern Utah University | UT | $77,113 | 64 |
| Strayer University-Alabama (reported together with 16 other campuses under one federal school ID) | AL | $62,227 | 185 |
| Suffolk University | MA | $92,015 | 62 |
| SUNY Brockport | NY | $61,703 | 69 |
| Syracuse University | NY | $107,868 | 100 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | $80,153 | 96 |
| Texas Southern University | TX | $64,662 | 81 |
| Texas State University | TX | $68,342 | 38 |
| The University of Montana | MT | $65,365 | 33 |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | TX | $83,344 | 79 |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio | TX | $76,337 | 58 |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | TX | $68,057 | 72 |
| Troy University | AL | $70,721 | 57 |
| University at Albany | NY | $84,950 | 74 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | AL | $61,916 | 46 |
| University of Baltimore | MD | $94,518 | 75 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | CO | $91,668 | 39 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | CO | $85,272 | 136 |
| University of Connecticut | CT | $86,879 | 36 |
| University of Delaware | DE | $77,421 | 43 |
| University of Georgia | GA | $82,476 | 65 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | IL | $81,041 | 50 |
| University of Illinois Springfield | IL | $77,237 | 60 |
| University of Kansas | KS | $82,043 | 37 |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston | MA | $81,029 | 37 |
| University of Michigan-Flint | MI | $66,535 | 49 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | MN | $97,311 | 41 |
| University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | $84,412 | 95 |
| University of Nebraska at Omaha | NE | $75,913 | 66 |
| University of Nevada-Las Vegas | NV | $82,864 | 52 |
| University of New Mexico-Main Campus | NM | $62,611 | 42 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | $81,915 | 112 |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | NC | $72,410 | 31 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | NC | $78,025 | 30 |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | $80,745 | 47 |
| University of Pennsylvania | PA | $104,073 | 65 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | $67,108 | 253 |
| University of San Francisco | CA | $99,141 | 118 |
| University of Southern California | CA | $103,721 | 168 |
| University of Utah | UT | $80,501 | 62 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $91,499 | 257 |
| Villanova University | PA | $96,385 | 109 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | VA | $76,945 | 46 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | $88,961 | 40 |
| Walden University | MN | $68,434 | 129 |
| Western Michigan University | MI | $76,335 | 45 |
| Wright State University-Main Campus | OH | $76,622 | 46 |
See every school that awarded master's degrees in Public Administration in 2023-24, including schools that do not report earnings, with the number of degrees awarded (IPEDS Completions).
Occupations O*NET associates with this field
Occupations that U.S. Department of Labor O*NET data links to Public Administration programs, with each occupation's national median pay, projected job growth and yearly openings. They are listed in the order O*NET links them to this field; click a column heading to sort. This is a classification crosswalk, not evidence that graduates enter these jobs, and many of these occupations require more education, a license or experience beyond this credential. The figures describe the occupation, not the graduates of this major.
| Career | Median pay, 2025 | Projected growth, 2025–2035 | Openings per year |
|---|
| Managers, All Other | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Compliance Managers | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $107,230 | +6.1% | 18,300 |
| Supply Chain Managers | $107,230 | +6.1% | 18,300 |
| Chief Executives | $213,990 | +3.2% | 19,100 |
Frequently asked questions
Does a master's degree in Public Administration pay off?
Graduates with a master's degree in Public Administration earn a median of $81,408 four years after graduating. Earnings four years out are early-career pay, and they vary widely by school, job and place. Compare the pay with the cost of your own school on its graduate earnings page.
How much do college graduates earn overall?
See earnings by education level and by state.
Do Public Administration graduates work in their field?
The National Survey of College Graduates (2023) asked employed graduates whose highest degree is a master's in social service and related fields how closely their job relates to their degree. About 74% said closely related, 16% somewhat related and 11% not related (roughly 884 thousand graduates). This is a broad group of fields, not only Public Administration, and a job outside the field is not a bad outcome by itself.
Closely relatedSomewhat relatedNot related
Source: U.S. National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Survey of College Graduates, 2023 (Table 1-3, master's level, all occupations). Survey estimates, rounded by NSF. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; NSF has not approved or endorsed them.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data (June 2026 release), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution; careers from O*NET 31.0 by the U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Career pay, growth and openings: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2025-2035). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; neither agency has approved or endorsed them. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. MajorPays has modified all or some of the O*NET information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Earnings are for graduates who received federal financial aid and were working and not enrolled four years after finishing (graduates of academic years 2014-15 and 2015-16, in 2021 dollars; the debt figures are for graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20); the data says nothing about how much a school added to its graduates' earnings.