Second tier International Affairs Salary?

[tedder]

Hi everyone,

I know what to expect regarding salary from a top 10 APSIA school, but what if I can't get in? What can I, on average, expect from a FP ranked school, numbers 11-20? 

[tedder]

Also I have experience in programming and Id like to get a degree in comp sci. Would that be more worth my time?

[DogsArePeopleToo]

It really varies greatly depending on where you work (even within the US) and what organization you work for.

Generally, MPA/MPPs end up mostly in the public or nonprofit sector. For US salaries of employees in these sectors, you can see this and this (chart below).

But if you work for an organization such as USAID, for example, you can expect to be paid roughly $10K-25K more than any employer in the US. This is because you'll typically be employed abroad. Any of USAID's major contractors such as IRD, TetraTech, DAI, Counterpart, etc. also pay very well. If you live overseas, you also generally get housing, security, meals, transportation and fully- or pratially-paid R&R.

If you are lucky enough to end up in the UN and work overseas, you get similar royal treatment. The UN also pays you thousands of dollars in "hazard pay" on top of your salary if you work in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, CAR, South Sudan, etc. (or anywhere else that the UN considers "hazard" deployment). Some UN employees get two-week R&Rs for each six weeks worked.

Additional degree in computer science is a plus, but in my experience not a major plus factor in the industry I described above. In this field, you need program management, paper chasing, multicultural experience, etc.

Hope this helps.

---

Chart below from MPADegree .org

Chart below from 

 

Edited August 24, 2016 by afgun_haund

[tedder]

I'm starting to feel this degree is a bad opportunity cost, even from a top program. I should probably do something else with the next two years. I hope I don't offend anyone too much.

[Ben414]

7 hours ago, tedder said:

I'm starting to feel this degree is a bad opportunity cost, even from a top program. I should probably do something else with the next two years. I hope I don't offend anyone too much.

People shouldn't be offended. Opportunity cost is a relative idea that each person calculates differently, so you saying it's not worth it for you means nothing for anyone else. MPP/MPA degrees generally don't lead to high-paying jobs (at least in the beginning) and can cost quite a bit of money, which means the non-financial considerations have to outweigh that relative disadvantage. People should only get the degree if they have a good idea of what they want to do and have decided the degree is important for getting them there. That said, that's true for any degree.

[tedder]

5 hours ago, Ben414 said:

People shouldn't be offended. Opportunity cost is a relative idea that each person calculates differently, so you saying it's not worth it for you means nothing for anyone else. MPP/MPA degrees generally don't lead to high-paying jobs (at least in the beginning) and can cost quite a bit of money, which means the non-financial considerations have to outweigh that relative disadvantage. People should only get the degree if they have a good idea of what they want to do and have decided the degree is important for getting them there. That said, that's true for any degree.

This is a good post. I think you have to be very focused (laser focused) on what you want to do with a graduate degree, and that is where I am flailing about. 

What are some non-financial considerations to consider btw? 

[Ben414]

19 hours ago, tedder said:

This is a good post. I think you have to be very focused (laser focused) on what you want to do with a graduate degree, and that is where I am flailing about. 

What are some non-financial considerations to consider btw? 

There are a lot of non-financial considerations, and their relative weight will vary a lot from person to person. Here's a few of them in no particular order:

1) Career aspirations: Some people place a higher value on their career and want by age 30 to be the CEO of a sustainable international nonprofit they founded themselves. Some people place a higher value on their personal life, decided policy analysis sounds vaguely interesting, and thought a MPA might help them get a mid-level state government job with good stability, little stress, and a comfortable 40-hour workweek. The first person will probably be willing to sacrifice more for the degree because they place a higher value on what the degree can give them.

2) Job Environment: Some people place a higher value on having a strong work environment (e.g. low-stress, get to be around people you enjoy being around, boss is supportive, schedule flexibility, etc.). If they're in a job that gives them this now, they may be less willing to give that up for a gamble on what their future job environments will be. If their desired job sucks in this regard, they may think twice about whether it's worth it to pursue that job.

3) Location: both in terms of where the school is and where your job will make you live. Some people have built up close relationships with friends and/or significant other, and they don't want to leave those relationships. Some people want a fresh start or an exciting adventure. Some people don't want to live in cities like NY or DC; some don't want to live in certain foreign countries; some don't want to stay in any one location for very long.

4) Timing: Some people want to do certain things like backpack through Europe or volunteer in Nepal or become an Olympic swimmer who vandalizes Brazilian bathrooms before they commit themselves to a more standard career track. Some people just want more unstructured time to figure out what they actually want in life before committing themselves to a policy career.

[kb6]

In all honesty, if you're taking out loans to fund the entire degree at a second tier school, it probably is a bad financial decision outside of a few narrow circumstances where you can get the loans forgiven without a tax penalty after 10 years of small payments (i.e. PSLF). But going into grad school assuming that that's how you're going to deal with your massive pile of loans is not a good strategy, because 1) who knows how long the program will be around and 2) it's often challenging to get public sector jobs - the bureaucracy makes it a long process even for the best applicants (I know a PMF finalist who is still waiting for a security clearance more than a year after we graduated). Not only that, but what you think you want before going into grad school might not be what you want when you come out.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't apply. Public sector or public sector-adjacent careers can be deeply satisfying, and you may be a better candidate for scholarships than you thought (I certainly was).

But if your chief concern is financial ROI and you have a shot at a computer science degree then than that would probably be the wiser path for you.

 

[kb6]

On 8/24/2016 at 3:20 AM, afgun_haund said:

It really varies greatly depending on where you work (even within the US) and what organization you work for.

Generally, MPA/MPPs end up mostly in the public or nonprofit sector. For US salaries of employees in these sectors, you can see this and this (chart below).

But if you work for an organization such as USAID, for example, you can expect to be paid roughly $10K-25K more than any employer in the US. This is because you'll typically be employed abroad. Any of USAID's major contractors such as IRD, TetraTech, DAI, Counterpart, etc. also pay very well. If you live overseas, you also generally get housing, security, meals, transportation and fully- or pratially-paid R&R.

If you are lucky enough to end up in the UN and work overseas, you get similar royal treatment. The UN also pays you thousands of dollars in "hazard pay" on top of your salary if you work in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, CAR, South Sudan, etc. (or anywhere else that the UN considers "hazard" deployment). Some UN employees get two-week R&Rs for each six weeks worked.

Additional degree in computer science is a plus, but in my experience not a major plus factor in the industry I described above. In this field, you need program management, paper chasing, multicultural experience, etc.

Hope this helps.

---

Chart below from MPADegree .org

Chart below from 

 

 

Also, I think these salaries are a little optimistic, especially for a second-tier grad.

I make a bit more than 61k, but I work in the private sector, graduated from a first tier school, and had some solid work experience before going back for my degree. I also had to negotiate for my salary.

Getting those USAID jobs is quite hard, and getting those UN jobs is almost impossible. I have friends who work for USAID contractors, with the hope of eventually working for USAID, and they're making in the upper 40s and low 50s - and expect to do so for a few years. That kind of salary is quite hard to live on in DC even without a loan payment. I do have some friends who've gone abroad, but I haven't discussed salary with them too much.

 

 

 

[MD guy]

Taking out loans to fully finance any public service degree is a bad idea for anyone. If you don't get any money this year, try the next. Grad school's not going anywhere

[went_away]

Uhh, probably $30-45K fresh out of grad school.

[RCtheSS]

23 hours ago, went_away said:

Uhh, probably $30-45K fresh out of grad school.

I sure hope it'd be higher than that... that was my salary range in a policy non-profit fresh out of undergrad!

[went_away]

Right, and you're at Chicago - you're not the norm. The question was about second and third-tier schools. Anyway, it's nearly impossible to estimate salary w/ so little info.