The first thing to know is that there are all kinds of jobs in politics, and you’re already set up to do most of them. If you want to make a difference, there will be a job for you, one that aligns with your skills and interests and allows you to grow and learn. Don’t worry too much whether your first couple internships feel aligned with your where you want to go next. If you’re applying to entry-level jobs, most hiring managers just want to see that you have some kind of broadly relevant professional experience.
At the start of your career, even if you are already certain of what you want to do, it’s best to have realistic expectations and an open mind to opportunities, regardless of whether they 100% align with your “dream job.” Careers in progressive politics, government, and nonprofits can be extremely competitive, so your first priority should be getting any kind of relevant experience you can to become a more competitive candidate for the positions you want to pursue. For many people, this looks like pursuing jobs that are on the periphery of the area of work they are interested in, or even a job they know for certain they don’t want to do forever. You should always go for what you want, but it’s important to be realistic and have back-up options to avoid unemployment.
If you’re not certain on your career path, the world is your oyster! If you know the general area of work you’re interested in – like somewhere in the realm of progressive politics, what motivates you, what you’re passionate about, and/or some key skills you have to offer, those are great places to start.
The landscape of political jobs and organizations is constantly changing. You don’t need to have a complete sense of it now, but you should give some thought to which of these categories call to you. What do you want to learn more about? What do you want to explore? You don’t need to have all the answers just yet, but you should start to ask the big questions.
Here are, broadly speaking, the options:
Electoral campaigns. There’s nowhere else in politics where you can move up the chain as quickly and nowhere with the pace and energy of a campaign. There are tons of options, from presidentials to Senate and House races to state legislatures, prosecutors, governors, treasurers, and attorney general.
Pros: Obvious, clear impact. If campaigns are your calling, then nothing else can quite replace them. You are (generally) immediately recognized for your work and you can get promoted quickly. Everyone should spend at least some time working on a campaign, even if it isn’t your life path. You’ll have a chance to try a lot of things quickly. If the candidate wins, you’ll own a piece of that success.
Cons: Burnout is easy, most campaigns are center-left, it’s not a stable job and pays okay, but not incredibly well. Cultures vary widely -- some are awesome and some are toxic -- and you will go through periods of unemployment. After months or even years of hard work, your candidate might lose and potentially leave politics altogether. You will probably work way too many hours.
Pay: Organizers typically make $35k - $50k/year, but you have to account for at least a couple months of unemployment. Well-financed campaigns could pay a little more. Salaries increase as you move up the ranks, but not exponentially. Campaign managers on House and Senate campaigns often make less than $80-90k, and on a super-well-funded Senate campaign you could make low six figures (but these jobs are rare). Field/finance/comms directors make a little less than that, RFDs make a little more than FOs. For reference, Biden’s campaign manager made $140k/year. I anticipate that these salaries will increase over the coming years as progressives think more about pay equity, but it’s really hard to tell. Generally speaking, you will make less on a campaign than you would in a comparable role at most other organizations.
Location: Everywhere! Most campaigns in 2022 will likely operate on a hybrid model, and will likely require you to live in the district and come into work at least a few days a week.
Community organizing. These are grassroots groups that are trying to build lasting progressive power beyond a single election. Some, like
, are far smaller and only hire occasionally. Some are centered around particular constituencies (e.g. low-income folks, people of color, or Muslims) and some are focused only geographically, but all share a broad theory of change: long-term mobilization and power-building in communities that traditionally aren’t represented is the best way to make a difference.
Pros: Job stability! Unlike campaigns, once you’re hired, you can stay on for years. Often, that means they are more invested in your growth and development, since you’ll be with them longer. Generally, they tend to be more thoughtful about race and class than electoral campaigns. And they usually have a small enough scope that you can really see your impact.
Cons: Depending on the organization, it can be insular and hard to grow out of: even if you do awesome work, it might not be recognized beyond your organization. You might be working with only one or two other staffers, and there can occasionally be a resistance to learning and growing. Pay ranges wildly: it can be generous, but also at times not livable. You don’t quite get the adrenaline rush of working on a campaign with an immediate outcome and tangible results, and it can be hard to get the exposure to a wide network of colleagues that you would in larger org.
Pay: There’s a real range here. Some of the entry-level jobs pay very poorly (think in the $20-$30k ballpark), while some pay closer to $45k or $50k. It mostly depends on the capacity of the org. If you’re working for a national network directly (i.e. you’re a staffer at the Center for Popular Democracy, not one of their affiliates), it’ll be higher; if you’re working for a local group, it’ll be lower. Pay increases steadily as you gain seniority, but you will never make a lot of money. Community organizing groups are pretty good about being transparent about salaries: most job descriptions will offer a payscale.
Location: Everywhere! Many community organizing groups have been doing in-person work through the pandemic, since they have to directly engage with constituents. Some of the national ones will stay remote indefinitely.
Political consulting. Consultants play a wide range of roles, from helping with direct mail and TV ads to digital and fundraising to top-level strategy. Some consultants are awesome and driven, bringing much-needed wisdom and strategic thinking to campaigns and causes that really need it. Others talk a big talk, but ultimately just bilk campaigns out of a lot of money. If you like the people, go for it; if it feels iffy or sad, don’t. Many firms prefer hiring folks with a couple cycles of campaign experience. Some firms consult to dozens (or even hundreds) of clients and will give you the opportunity to meet tons of people. Others consult to only a few, but would allow you to develop deep relationships with your clients. Definitely don’t rule this out, but make sure that your values are aligned and that your day-to-day work seems interesting and valuable.
Pros: (Usually) pays pretty well, you get exposed to a bunch of campaigns and organizations, some firms have super smart people who will teach you a lot, it’s a pretty stable job, a good way of getting a sense of the landscape. Some firms do great, vital work for causes that matter. You will leave with a lot of connections.
Cons: Can be corporate and dull, depending on the firm. A lot of firms brand themselves as political consultants, but actually make most of their money consulting to big companies, not campaigns. Dig into their clients before you apply! You could end up learning a ton from your boss, but you might also essentially function as an assistant. You could end up serving candidates and causes that you don’t love. At the end of the day, they’re for-profit and their ultimate goal is to make money.
Pay: Highest entry-level salaries out there, consistently in the $50-$65k ballpark. It will scale as you get more senior: you can easily make $200k+.
Location: Largely concentrated in NY and DC, but now many are shifting to fully remote.
Advocacy. These are organizations that have taken up a particular issue, cause, or agenda and are going out and fighting for them. Most are structured as 501(c)(4)s, which means they are primarily responsible for promoting “social welfare” and must spend less than 50% of their money on electoral politics. The smart ones do a mix of everything, from lobbying to policy to storytelling to electoral work.
Pros: If you find an org that is advocating for an issue you really care about, it lets you dive straight into the fight rather than circling around the issue: instead of organizing to elect a candidate because you believe they’ll vote the right way on an issue that matters to you, you can cut to the chase and fight for the thing you believe in. Some of these organizations do brilliant, cutting edge work that transcends lobbying and strictly electoral politics. You’ll work with folks with a wide range of skillsets and have the opportunity to learn a lot from them. It’s much more stable than campaigns, and typically pays reasonably well.
Cons: While some are super effective, others don’t really do much. All these orgs are great at posturing, so dig in -- is their work actually making a difference? Most of these issues have a lot of players -- which victories can they really claim credit for and which would have happened without their involvement? Cultures vary widely, too: some can get sucked into a depressing DC suit groupthink that you want to avoid (when you spend a lot of time trying to convince politicians to vote with you, it’s easy to start idolizing them). Ultimately, a lot of this will come down to your own theory of change: advocacy groups can only do as much as elected officials will let them.
Pay: One of the widest ranges. Smaller, scrappier orgs might offer you a salary that just isn’t livable in DC, larger, more established ones can pay closer to political consultant salaries (think $40-65k entry level, in the $125-$200k range if you are more senior).
Location: Concentrated in DC, but many will likely continue to offer remote opportunities for roles that don’t involve directly engaging with legislators.
Organized labor. It’s been the backbone of the progressive movement for decades, and, despite challenges, they’re still doing lots of good work to build power for working people. There are a few routes here that might make sense, and they look very different: you could work as a local organizer essentially anywhere in the country, or you can work in a national office (usually DC) doing political/tech/admin work. Don’t discount the power of these jobs, even though they aren’t quite as in style as they once were.
Pros: Unions are funded by their members, so you are accountable to working people -- not big donors. The jobs pay well (many are unionized!), with opportunity for advancement and a thoughtful approach to race and class. They’re very stable gigs: they expect you to stick around for a long time and will invest in you accordingly. Depending on your role, your work will often have an immediate impact: instead of having to wait for the next election to make change, you can do critical political organizing and help workers win better wages, healthcare, and dignity on the job.
Cons: Local organizing is really hard work, and you might burn out. At the national level, unions are massive organizations where people stick around forever, so you’ll likely have a pretty rigid set of responsibilities, and advancement will be slow (although it will happen). Because of the Janus decision’s limits on dues collections for public-sector unions and a larger push against organized labor, budgets are tight, and there’s an existential threat to the movement. Because unions are ultimately accountable to their members--not all of whom are super progressive--you’ll run into some challenges: for instance, the AFL-CIO, which, in many ways, is at the forefront of progressive political infrastructure, counts the International Union of Police Associations among its members.
Pay: Most unions are great about pay transparency, and follow strict payscales that they’ll post publicly with the jobs. You’ll likely be represented by a staff union (a union of union staffers) that will have a lot of leverage, and you’ll get great benefits. The pay varies a lot depending on the role, but usually in the 50s and up.
Location: If you’re working for a local (essentially, a chapter of a union that represents workers in a certain area), you’ll probably have to live in the area and do some in-person work. There are locals pretty much everywhere. If you want to work for the national, that will probably (but not always!) require you to live in DC and work in-person.
Policy. This is a weird, interesting world. A lot of people say they want to go into policy, but you should be thoughtful about why you want to do it. Is writing and researching what calls to you? Or do you just want to make an impact on issues + causes that matter to you? These jobs are hard to get and not always rewarding. (FWIW: the line between policy and advocacy can be fuzzy, and many organizations do both)
Pros: You will likely work with very smart people. It will pay reasonably well. If this is the kind of work that gives you energy, you will know and it’ll be a fit for you. Can sometimes drive real, transformative change. Less on-the-ground than other work.
Cons: Entry-level policy gigs are less thrilling than they seem. Lots of research and fact-checking driven by a senior staffers’ agenda. If your title includes “associate” or “coordinator,” there’s a chance you might actually be someone’s assistant. It can often feel like shouting into a void: generally, the reason why we haven’t made progress on an issue isn’t because no one’s thought of a good solution. Easy to succumb to DC groupthink.
Pay: Like advocacy, it will really vary based on where you’re working and how well they are funded. I would estimate $40-65k entry level, in the $125-$200k range if you are more senior.
Location: Lots and lots of these jobs are in DC, but not all. They’re mostly staying remote through early 2022, but some might be remote indefinitely.
Data / analytics / political tech. This is the biggest emerging space in progressive politics, and you can learn how to do it without having studied data science in college. Organizations like
offer excellent, often free or extremely low-cost, comprehensive data trainings. Introductory statistics and computer science classes work too. Tons and tons and tons of jobs here, and they generally pay you pretty well.
Pros: Interesting work, usually pays quite well and is relatively stable, super smart staff. Can be an awesome career path. You’ll learn transferrable skills. If the idea of spending your whole day talking to people sounds less than thrilling, this can be a great alternative.
Cons: A steeper learning curve than organizing. Sometimes data can be a little fetishized –– it’s important, but we need other things, too! Not a very diverse field (yet!). Some of the roles on campaigns (where you’re essentially a VAN admin) are dull, and you might spend much more time cleaning data than analyzing it, even as you move into more senior roles. Consulting firms are driving a lot of the work right now and might make you work for their corporate clients, too.
Pay: Entry-level is typically in the $50-$65k range, usually increases to $55-$80k after a cycle or two, then $80k+ once you’re managing a few people. Will generally be slightly more if you’re working for a consulting firm. There are very few data/analytics jobs that pay poorly.
Location: Generally speaking, these are the roles that are the most likely to stay remote forever because: a) data folks tend to be pretty introverted and not so into hanging out at the office, b) the work itself doesn't really have an in-person component, and c) data staff are hard to hire, so orgs don’t want to limit themselves. But if you’re working in a data role at a bigger org that has a universal policy, that might not be true.
State parties. Capacity and style depends on the state. It’s always worth a look. Staff balloons during election years and then shrinks way down off-cycle, but they keep a few folks around consistently.
Pros: (Sometimes) more stability than a campaign, but you get the thrill of an election. Lots of exposure to everything happening in the state.
Cons: Depends on the state. There’s a real range of staff ability and knowledge and may or may not be room for advancement.
Pay: Roughly the same as campaigns, depends a lot of geography and funding. Most are pretty transparent about salaries.
Government. Definitely an option! It can be fun to work on the Hill, especially if you helped elect the candidate. You are right in the heart of government, and there’s often room for advancement.
Pros: You’re there, in the thick of it! Often cool people.
Cons: Some positions are really dull (think responding to constituent mail full-time) and you can get absorbed in DC bs. Usually pays really poorly at the entry-level, especially for DC.
Pay: Chiefs of staff make ~$130-150k, mid-level staff make ~$50-$80k. Entry level is usually $30-$40k, which is tough in DC (try finding an apartment near Capitol Hill for $750/month!)
There are also lots more options and areas — explore and figure out what works for you!
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The Landscape