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Salary Information for MPAs/MPPs

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Salary Statistics for MPA Degree Graduates

If you change your BA to a Master’s Degree, your salary is likely to increase by a substantial amount. 

General Salary Statistics for Master’s Degrees

According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, in 2004 for people 25 years and over, the median income was $53,581 for a Bachelor’s Degree and $67,361 for a Master’s. 

Average Salaries for an MPA by Job Type

Private sector salary information from PayScale. Federal Government salary information from the US Office of Personal Management. This information does not account for different localities or the cost of living. 

Case Study: Average salaries for MPA’s who graduated from Baruch College (2003)

As the two pie charts show, MPA graduates earn higher salaries—over half earn $50,000 or more—as opposed to non-MPA’s, less than a fourth of whom earn the same amount. 

Charts derived from information on the Baruch College website.

The line graph to the left accentuates this point by showing that a higher percentage of MPA’s are in the higher income brackets. The bottom line is, MPA’s earn more than those only with a graduate degree. 

SALARIES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: 2009

The federal government has a General Schedule (GS) pay scale that is based upon grades and steps. In the two tables below, you see how much an individual earns at each grade and step. When individuals enter the federal government after earning their undergraduate degrees, they will usually enter as a GS-7. On the other hand, the lowest grade at which a person who has completed a masters program, such as an MPA or MPP, will enter is a GS-9 (and many enter at higher grades). Federal employees' salaries tend to advance about 2 steps per year.

In the tables below, the GS-7 pay rates for 2009 are highlighted in blue, while the GS-9 pay rates are highlighted in red. Comparing the GS-7 and GS-9 pay rates illustrates the higher salaries associated with MPA/MPP degrees.

The first table below shows the base General Schedule pay rates for 2009. The second table shows the 2009 General Schedule pay rates for the Washington, DC area. 

2009 Federal Employee Pay Tables*

INCORPORATING THE 2.90% GENERAL SCHEDULE INCREASE
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2009
Annual Rates by Grade and Step

INCORPORATING THE 2.90% GENERAL SCHEDULE INCREASE AND 
A LOCALITY PAYMENT OF 23.10%

FOR THE LOCALITY PAY AREA OF WASHINGTON-BALTIMORE-NORTHERN VIRGINIA, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA