Legislator Job Description | Create a Career

Legislators essential career information:

2012 median pay: $19,780
2012, number of jobs: 56,760
Employment growth forecast, 2010-2020: 0 percent
Entry level education requirements: Bachelor’s degree

Legislators; what they do:

People who care about how laws impact communities, have the patience to truly listen to people, can compromise on many issues and enjoy making new laws and changing existing ones may find a legislator career highly rewarding. Simply put, legislators, elected members of the legislative branch of government, develop and enact laws and statutes for local, state and federal governments. However, when reviewing the overall job description, a legislator career is much more detailed and complex.

A legislator career involves spending days developing and drafting laws for other legislators to pass, debating and understanding proposed laws during floor sessions, writing and approving budgets and regulations and finding money for programs in their districts.

A legislator career involves voting on bills and enacting them into law, hearing concerns and testimony from political leaders as well as the communities they represent and serving on several panels and committees for policy issues.

The term legislator includes a wide variety of politicians from members of the U.S. Congress and state senators to township commissioners and council members.
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assembly members Legislator job titles:

Assemblyman
Assemblywoman
Assembly Member
City Councilor
Delegate
Counsel Member
Councilman
State legislator
Federal legislator

Legislators Education, Certification and License Requirements

Typically, people interested in a legislator career, need a bachelor’s degree or higher to effectively compete in an election. However, there is no formal education requirement to actually become a legislator. Candidates come from a wide range of occupational backgrounds, experience and educational degrees, but many have direct experience in politics or management.

Legislators, elected officials, campaign for a position in the government whether local, state or federal. Campaigning, a grueling task filled with long hours of public appearances, also requires significant campaign fundraising.

Graduate degrees in law and business as well as a Master degree in Public Administration are particularly helpful when running for state legislator or federal legislator positions.

Many candidates also have strong backgrounds in education, law, and business as well as extensive volunteer experience working with charities, religious affiliations and on other political campaigns. In addition, legislators often begin their career on a local level and gain experience before seeking a higher office.

Legislator programs cover subjects such as:

Business Law
Organizational marketing
Marketing
Management strategy
Business communication
Management science
Operational technology
Finance

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Learn about an Online B.S. Political Science Degree

Legislators Job Outlook

city councilors Forecast: little to no change employment growth for legislators from 2010 to 2020. Typically, legislative positions in governments remain unchanged due to its competitive nature and costly campaign measures.

Competition varies in terms of state, local and federal levels. Larger communities and municipalities are typically highly competitive. Smaller governments have more opportunities for potential legislators however these positions have a lower pay scale and a higher turnover rate.

Legislators Salary

councilman

2012 median annual wage: $19,780
2012 workers at the 75th percentile annual wage: $56.060
2012, workers at the 25th percentile annual wage: $17,790

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Legislators Education, Certification and License Requirements

Legislators Job Outlook

Legislators Salary

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