Public service is a common description to a variety of jobs. Because public service careers are available in many, many, departments and avenues it is a career choice that can be highly rewarding. Below you will find an overview of public service jobs, approximate earning, education requirements, and much more.
Jobs in Public Service: Overview
There are so many people that work in public service, but those who leap to mind are: teachers, firefighters, police officers, and so many more. But there is a difference between what qualifies as an ocean of possibilities vs. the jobs that have the most potential for a promising future. Just to give you more of an idea of the various jobs you have to choose from in a sea of possibilities they are more clearly defined here:
Government (Sate and Local)
Correction officer
Security guard
Firefighter
Police officer
Social Services:
Administrative assistant
Secretary
Social worker- This includes working for child welfare, mental health, family services, public school, human services and criminal justice among many others.
Counselor-This includes public school/university school counselor, vocational/jobs, mental health, marriage, family, and rehabilitation
Education:
Teacher
Teacher’s aid
Librarian
Professional tutor
Jobs in Public Service: Potential Earnings
Social services have so many various avenues and most are understaffed and under funded. Still, the average yearly income depending on the state and its budget can be anywhere from over 20,000- over 95,000. However, some of the social workers with limited to no education or experience may find entry level salaries starting at 10,000 dollars a year. For social workers it definitely pays to have a little training and a few hours under your belt before expecting a good salary at a new job.
Counselors of the educational and vocational sort usually earn between 30,000 and 40,000 a year. Of course the more training and experience you have there are jobs that pay over 50,000 a year.
Teachers and teacher’s aids are always in demand and they can earn anywhere from over 25,000-40,000 a year.
The earning potential of the average librarian ranges between 25,000 and 45,000 depending on location. Seasoned librarians who have 3-5 years under their belt will usually earn the latter end of the scale.
Firefighters do not all work in the cities. There are several different jobs in the firefighter outfit. From the look-outs to the rangers to the smoke jumpers and the inspectors, the pay varies. In most cases the weekly salary is $636.00. Fifty percent of firefighters earn between 500 and 900. The highest level a firefighter can achieve, which makes up of all 10% of firefighters earns more than $900 a week.
Police officers pay can vary so it is broken down as follows:
- Entry level officer for the state police starts out at over 20,000 a year.
- Entry level officer for the local dept starts out at 19,000 a year.
- For the state a sergeant make around/above 30,000 a year where the local dept sergeants make well over 25,000 a year. The chief of the state police department can make over 56,000 a year whereas the local department would make over 30,000. This greatly depends on the state and population of the area in which you have jurisdiction.
Security guards can make anywhere form minimum wage to 20.00 an hour depending on the company that hires them.
Personal body guards are generally considered in the “security guard” career but they can make a lot more money depending who they decide to work for.
Jobs in Public Service: Education and Requirements
The educational requirements in public service can vary. So this section has been designed to break down the job areas and approximate required education per common career option. Administration of social services usually means a masters degree and/or practical experience as a social worker. Many online courses can give you a degree in this area in a short amount of time.
Counselors are usually required to have a master’s degree in the field of which they choose such as: (Marriage, Educational, Vocational, Rehabilitation etc). The course involved with this type of degree usually involves human growth and development, social foundation etc. Depending on what each state requires for school counselors, most surprisingly, don’t need any type of degree, they merely need certificates of either counseling or teaching (these are not hard to come by; a few classes can get you a certificate).
Depending on state guidelines, educational jobs (i.e. teacher/teachers aids etc) may not even require education. Teachers can be required to be certified in one subject or another and depending on where you wish to teach; a bachelor’s degree may be needed.
Librarians typically need a degree in library science but, a course can be completed depending on the facility, that would be acceptable.
The only education a firefighter usually needs is a GED or high school diploma. They must be at least 18 years old and must pass a written test and a physical test to evaluate strength, agility, and coordination.
Police officers apply for their desired position under civil service regulations. Usually all that is needed is high school education and of course passing the written and physical examinations.
Security guards do not need a college degree or a high school diploma usually the only requirement is the applicant must be at least 18 years old, can read and write and have no criminal record.
Jobs in Public Service: Closing
With so many online schools and cheap courses available anyone can hold a degree in today’s day and age. These are only a few jobs in public service that are open to everyone. Each person has their own goals and aspirations for their lives
