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Working in Government and Public Policy: What Teens Who Want to Change Things Should Know
Public sector careers offer stability, meaningful work, and loan forgiveness through PSLF. Here's the honest guide to government and policy career paths for teens who want impact.
At a career panel last year, a 17-year-old asked the assembled adults: “I want to actually fix climate change, not just work at a company that has a sustainability page. What do I do?” The panel pivoted to clean energy startups and ESG roles. Nobody said “work for EPA” or “become a policy analyst at a state energy agency” or “get a job at FEMA.” Nobody mentioned that government is where much of the actual rule-setting, enforcement, and resource allocation happens — or that a public sector career, for someone with significant student loans, might be more financially sustainable than any of the private alternatives.
The public sector is genuinely underrated as a career destination, and its underrepresentation among teenagers’ aspirations has concrete causes worth examining.
Key Takeaways
- Federal government employees earn competitive salaries through the GS (General Schedule) pay scale — GS-7 through GS-11 covers most entry-level positions ($40K-$75K depending on location and grade)
- PSLF forgives remaining federal student loan balances after 120 qualifying payments (10 years) in public service — making it a significant financial benefit for graduate degree holders
- The Partnership for Public Service reports the average age of a federal employee is 47, creating significant career advancement opportunities for young workers in the coming decade
- Public policy careers span civil service, think tanks, legislative staff, international organizations, and nonprofit policy research — not just elected office
- Model UN, congressional internships (many are paid), and local government volunteer roles provide meaningful exposure before college applications
What “Working in Government” Actually Looks Like
The phrase triggers images of either elected officials or bureaucratic desk workers. The real landscape is considerably broader:
Federal civil service: The U.S. federal government is the single largest employer in the country, with roughly 2.1 million civilian employees. This includes scientists at NIH and NOAA, engineers at NASA and the Army Corps of Engineers, economists at the Federal Reserve and Treasury, data analysts at the Census Bureau and FBI, lawyers at DOJ, public health officers at CDC, and program managers across every agency. The work is varied, specialized, and — in most agencies — genuinely mission-driven.
State and local government: Cities, counties, and states employ roughly 20 million people — far more than the federal government. Transportation planners, parks administrators, zoning officials, public defenders, school district administrators, emergency managers — these are local government roles that directly affect how people live.
Legislative staff: Congressional offices and state legislative staff roles are competitive but accessible. Staffers research legislation, draft policy memos, respond to constituent inquiries, and manage the operations that allow elected officials to function. These roles don’t pay as much as federal agency positions, but the policy education is unmatched.
Think tanks and policy research organizations: The Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, RAND Corporation, and hundreds of smaller organizations employ researchers, analysts, and communicators who inform public policy without working directly in government. These roles typically require strong research and writing skills and graduate education for senior positions.
International organizations: The United Nations, World Bank, IMF, WHO, and related organizations employ policy professionals in development, health, economics, and security. These are highly competitive and often require advanced degrees and language skills.
Nonprofit policy work: Most major advocacy organizations (ACLU, Sierra Club, NAACP, AARP) employ policy directors, legislative liaisons, and researchers who operate at the intersection of advocacy and policy.
Public Sector Career Paths by Entry Requirements
| Career Path | Entry Education | Starting Salary Range | Stability | PSLF Eligible | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal GS positions (analyst level) | Bachelor’s (GS-7/9) | $40K-$65K | Very high | Yes | Research, policy analysis, program management |
| State/local government | Bachelor’s | $38K-$60K | High | Yes | Direct community impact, regional focus |
| Congressional staff | Bachelor’s | $38K-$55K | Moderate (election-dependent) | Yes | Legislative process, policy influence |
| Think tank researcher | Master’s or Ph.D. | $50K-$75K entry | Moderate | Varies (501c3) | Research, writing, policy impact |
| International organizations | Master’s + experience | $60K-$90K+ | Moderate | Varies | Global issues, development, diplomacy |
| Foreign Service Officer | Bachelor’s + FSO exam | $62K-$90K (salary + allowances) | High | Yes | International affairs, diplomacy |
| Nonprofit policy director | Bachelor’s + experience | $55K-$85K | Moderate | Yes (501c3 employer) | Advocacy, specific issue areas |
Sources: OPM Federal Salary Table 2024; Partnership for Public Service career data; PSLF program eligibility guidelines
The PSLF Financial Calculation
Public Service Loan Forgiveness was created in 2007 to encourage graduates with significant federal student loan debt to pursue public sector and nonprofit careers. After 120 qualifying monthly payments (10 years) while employed full-time at a qualifying employer, the remaining loan balance is forgiven, tax-free.
A concrete example: A policy analyst who graduates with a master’s degree in public policy and $95,000 in federal student loans takes a GS-9 position starting at $55,000. Under an income-driven repayment plan (SAVE or PAYE), her monthly payment is approximately $200-$300 per month based on income. After 10 years of qualifying payments, whatever she hasn’t paid — potentially $60,000-$80,000 — is forgiven.
This is a significant financial benefit that meaningfully changes the calculus of graduate education for people committed to public sector careers. The tradeoff is real: private sector salaries are often 20-40% higher for comparable roles at the mid-career level. The loan forgiveness and benefit stability partially — and in some cases fully — offset this gap.
The Partnership for Public Service has a free PSLF calculator that allows prospective public servants to model the forgiveness benefit against private sector salary premiums for their specific situation.
How to Start Exploring Government and Policy in High School
Congressional internships: Both House and Senate offices accept high school interns, and many are now paid (the House established minimum pay for interns in 2022). These are competitive, regionally based, and require an application to your member of Congress’s office. The work is administrative but the exposure — sitting in hearings, reading constituent mail, understanding the legislative process — is unique.
Model UN: Far more rigorous than it sounds. MUN builds research, public speaking, negotiation, and international policy knowledge simultaneously. Strong MUN involvement is a genuine signal to international organization employers and graduate programs.
Local government engagement: City council meetings are public. Planning commission meetings accept public comment. School board meetings are open. A teenager who regularly attends and participates in local government proceedings understands how public decisions are actually made better than most adults.
Youth advisory councils: Many cities, counties, and state agencies have formal youth advisory structures. These are real advisory roles — not symbolic — where teenagers’ input influences policy.
FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) / DECA with public sector interest: These organizations have government and public administration competitive categories that prepare students for policy research and presentation skills.
What to Watch For Over 3 Months
Month 1: Is your teenager’s interest in “changing things” specific — they’re interested in education policy, or climate regulation, or criminal justice reform — or is it general? Specificity of issue interest predicts career persistence in policy work. General “I want to make a difference” motivation tends to collide with the real pace of policy change, which is slow and incremental, in demoralizing ways.
Month 2: Have they engaged with any part of actual government process — attending a public meeting, reading a piece of legislation, following the congressional career of a bill from introduction to passage? Understanding how slow and procedural this is before committing to it is protective.
Month 3: Are they building any specific expertise — in economics, public health, urban planning, environmental science, or another domain? Policy generalists exist, but the most effective policy professionals have deep domain knowledge in an issue area. The policy skills are applied to that knowledge base, not substituted for it.
Red flag: a teenager primarily motivated by a desire for power or prominence who has landed on politics as the vehicle. Policy and civil service careers do not provide the kind of public profile that motivates this. The day-to-day work is analytical, written, and procedural. The most effective government workers are motivated by the substance of their work, not the status of the title.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a political science degree to work in government?
No — and in many agencies, it’s not the most useful degree. Environmental agencies hire scientists and engineers. Economic agencies hire economists. Defense agencies hire engineers, logistics professionals, and cybersecurity specialists. Public health agencies hire physicians, nurses, and epidemiologists. Political science and public policy degrees are appropriate for legislative staff, policy research, and agency program management roles, but the federal government is a large enough employer to need virtually every kind of expertise.
Are government jobs really that stable?
More than private sector employment, historically. Federal jobs are protected by civil service rules that make termination for performance significantly more procedurally demanding than private sector at-will employment. Reduction-in-force does occur but is uncommon and follows specific procedures. State and local government stability varies by jurisdiction and fiscal health. Political appointee positions (a small fraction of government employment) are the exception — these change with administrations.
How do teens apply for congressional internships?
Find your U.S. Representative and both U.S. Senators using congress.gov. Each office has an internship application page. Applications are typically accepted semester by semester (fall, spring, summer). High school intern programs are separate from college intern programs — specifically note that you’re a high school student. Start the application 3-4 months before the desired term.
What is the Foreign Service Officer exam, and can teens prepare for it?
The FSOT (Foreign Service Officer Test) is a computer-based exam covering U.S. history and government, economics, cultural awareness, and other topics. It can be taken after age 20, which means serious preparation can begin in high school. The State Department publishes a study guide. Reading widely about international affairs, history, and economics is the most effective preparation. Language skills are a significant competitive advantage — this is one of the few federal careers where proficiency in Mandarin, Arabic, or Russian is genuinely career-accelerating.
About the author
Ricky Flores is the founder of HiWave Makers and an electrical engineer with 15+ years of experience building consumer technology at Apple, Samsung, and Texas Instruments. He writes about how kids learn to build, think, and create in a tech-saturated world. Read more at hiwavemakers.com.
Sources
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management. (2024). Federal Civilian Workforce Statistics. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/data-analysis-documentation/federal-employment-reports/
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management. (2024). General Schedule Pay Scale 2024. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education. (2024). Public Service Loan Forgiveness. https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
- Partnership for Public Service. (2023). The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government. https://bestplacestowork.org
- Pew Research Center. (2023). Trust in Government Survey. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/09/19/public-trust-in-government-1958-2023/
- U.S. Department of State. (2024). Foreign Service Officer Test Overview. https://www.state.gov/foreign-service-officer-test-fsot/
