Deputy Assistant Secretary
Impact: Systemic
Oversee specific policy areas, manage programs, and lead teams within a government department or agency, providing strategic planning, inter-agency coordination, and public representation as a senior executive reporting to an Assistant Secretary.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- Team-oriented
- Client facing
- Always
- Impact visibility
- Very High
- Travel
- Moderate (10-25%)
- Schedule flexibility
- Rigid
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 50-60 hours/week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $160,000
- Entry-level
- $120,000
- Senior
- $200,000
- Growth by 2033
- Stable (2-5%)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- Moderate
- Typical student debt
- $100,000 - $200,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Policy Analysis
- Budget Management
- Public Administration
Soft skills
- Leadership
- Strategic Thinking
- Communication
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Doctorate degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 10-15 years
- Years to senior
- 15-20 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Analyst
- Senior Analyst
- Program Manager
- Director
- Deputy Assistant Secretary
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- Very Low
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 4/10
- Meaning
- 4/10
- Work-life balance
- 3/10
- Prestige
- 5/10
- Social perception
- Very High