17 Types of Jobs in Civil Service (Plus Salaries)

There are a wide variety of positions available in local, state and federal government, including jobs in civil service. This category includes all government officials who aren't political appointees and don't work in the legal profession. If you're interested in a civil service career, it might be helpful to learn what positions are available in the field. In this article, we list 17 types of civil service jobs, including their average salaries and primary duties.

17 jobs in civil service

There are a wide variety of positions available in civil service at the local state and national levels. These are 17 civil service jobs that you can consider, including their national average salaries, primary duties and links to job searches. For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, visit indeed.com/**salaries:

1. Intelligence analyst

National average salary: $37,328 per year

Primary duties: Intelligence analysts are professionals who collect and analyze information vital for their agencies. Common duties for intelligence analysts include designing intelligence-gathering processes, collecting data, designing and maintaining database systems, identifying trends in data, compiling reports, identifying security threats, collaborating with foreign intelligence professionals and advising policymakers and other government officials. Intelligence analysts are also responsible for determining the accuracy of information and placing it within the context of current events. These professionals may work for the military, intelligence services or other defense agencies.

Read more: Learn About Being an Intelligence Analyst

2. Communications specialist

National average salary: $41,101 per year

Primary duties: Communications specialists are professionals who plan and streamline internal and external communications for companies and government agencies. Common tasks for these professionals include developing communication strategies, writing press releases, developing content for websites and newsletters, developing a distinctive organizational voice, arranging interviews and press coverage, monitoring the success of communication efforts, building relationships with media outlets, giving public addresses, developing budgets, supervising other communication professionals, planning and managing promotional events and mediating in disputes.

3. Human resources specialist

National average salary: $45,227 per year

Primary duties: Human resources (HR) managers are professionals who design, implement and supervise employee programs for businesses, nonprofits or government agencies. Common tasks for HR managers include supervising human resources employees, maintaining compliance with legal regulations and industry standards, managing payroll and benefits programs, creating schedules and dealing with time-off requests. HR managers may also conduct meetings, resolve disputes, take disciplinary actions, oversee recruiting, onboarding and recruiting processes and maintain workplace health and safety.

4. Air traffic controller

National average salary: $45,970 per year

Primary duties: Air traffic controllers are professionals who manage arriving and departing aircraft and ensure safety at airports. Common tasks for aircraft controllers include communicating with pilots and ground crew, directing aircraft traffic on the ground and in the air, ensuring that aircraft depart and land on schedule, guiding aircraft onto appropriate runways, providing weather information to pilots and informing air and ground crews of delays. Other duties include informing airport staff of arrival and departure times, relating safety information, managing emergency situations, searching for missing pilots, compiling flight data into reports and operating computer, radio, radar and telephone systems.

Read more: Learn About Being an Air Traffic Controller

5. Postal worker

National average salary: $46,917 per year

Primary duties: Postal workers are professionals who deliver letters and packages in their local area. Most of these professionals work for the United States Postal Service. Common tasks for postal workers include sorting mail, operating a mail delivery vehicle, driving a regular route, delivering letters and packages to designated home addresses, businesses and post office boxes, collecting outgoing mail and following delivery instructions, such as collecting signatures. Other postal employees work in a post office, sorting and preparing mail, answering customer questions, assisting customers with outgoing packages, selling postal supplies, completing administrative tasks and collecting payments.

6. Firefighter

National average salary: $47,392 per year

Primary duties: Firefighters are emergency professionals who work to control and extinguish fires. They usually work for municipal or county governments. Primary duties for firefighters include responding to emergency calls, maintaining and operating firefighting equipment, driving fire trucks, performing search and rescue operations, writing reports of emergency incidents, conducting fire inspections, performing first-aid for fire victims, transporting patients to medical facilities, conducting educational activities in their communities and engaging in fire prevention efforts.

Read more: Learn About Being a Firefighter

7. Social services director

National average salary: $52,389 per year

Primary duties: Social services directors are professionals who help clients access welfare programs. These professionals usually require a degree in social work and often specialize in serving a certain segment of the population, like children or low-income individuals. Common duties for social services directors include identifying individuals in need of assistance and completing assessments, maintaining a list of resources, educating community members on available government services, developing care plans and keeping detailed records. Other tasks may include helping community members complete applications and fill out paperwork, supervising other social services staff and analyzing current community trends.

8. Foreign language teacher

National average salary: $52,716 per year

Primary duties: Foreign language teachers are educational professionals who help students learn a second language. The federal government hires many language teachers to instruct diplomats, intelligence analysts and military members in strategic languages. Some local and state governments also employ language teachers to instruct social workers and other local officials. Common duties for language teachers include creating lesson plans, conducting classroom sessions, assigning homework, proctoring tests, grading tests, classwork and homework, planning educational events, creating progress reports and completing administrative tasks like purchasing supplies, collecting payments and maintaining a clean classroom.

9. Accountant

National average salary: $53,847 per year

Primary duties: Accountants are financial professionals who specialize in tax preparation, financial reporting and record-keeping. Many accountants work for local state and federal government agencies. Common duties for these professionals include preparing budgets, keeping accurate financial records, reconciling discrepancies in statements, conducting internal audits, preparing and filing tax documents, complying with standard accounting practices, ensuring compliance with legal regulations and analyzing financial performance. Accountants may also provide financial advice, compile regular reports and predict future financial performance.

Read more: Learn About Being an Accountant

10. Urban planner

National average salary: $65,312 per year

Primary duties: Urban planners are professionals who help design and revitalize urban communities. These professionals often work for local or state government agencies. Common duties for urban planners include developing concepts with other government officials and community representatives, drafting plans for development and revitalization, conducting social and environmental impact studies, inspecting building sites, filing permits and preparing documentation, reviewing proposals and conducting community surveys. Urban planners may also attend press conferences, give presentations for government officials and citizens and answer public questions.

11. Social worker

National average salary: $65,860 per year

Primary duties: Social workers are professionals who assist clients with social issues and help them access government assistance programs. These professionals can work for a variety of state, local, and federal government agencies and often help clients overcome challenges posed by poverty, abuse, neglect, substance abuse, mental health issues and domestic violence. Common duties for social workers include meeting with and assessing clients, recommending courses of treatment, recommending clients to specialists, mediating between various parties, determining whether clients qualify for assistance, helping people enroll in government assistance programs, providing crisis intervention, maintaining confidentiality, and keeping detailed case records.

12. Immigration specialist

National average salary: $66,792 per year

Primary duties: Immigration specialists are professionals who help foreign nationals immigrate to the United States. Many of these professionals work for agencies like U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Common duties for immigration specialists include reviewing citizenship and visa applications, holding interviews with potential immigrants, assisting foreign nationals with immigration and visa paperwork, learning about U.S. Immigration law, presenting cases to judges and helping clients meet the requirements for immigrating to the United States.

13. Budget analyst

National average salary: $73,229 per year

Primary duties: Budget analysts are professionals who work to provide funding for projects and control spending. Common tasks for budget analysts include reviewing funding requests, developing budgets, approving and rejecting budget proposals, tracking company spending and ensuring compliance with financial regulations. Other tasks may include attending meetings, performing cost-benefit analyses, defending budget decisions and ensuring accuracy in financial statements.

14. Policy analyst

National average salary: $78,930 per year

Primary duties: Policy analysts are professionals who examine government policies to determine whether they are effective. They often specialize in a specific area of policy and usually have a master's degree in a related field, a knowledge of relevant laws and strong written and verbal communication skills. Common tasks for policy analysts include reviewing the goals of a policy, analyzing policies to determine whether they are effective in reaching their objectives, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations and identifying potential omissions. They may also recommend improvements, conduct research and suggest ideas for new policies or policy updates.

15. Contract manager

National average salary: $80,406 per year

Primary duties: Contract managers are professionals who oversee their organizations' contracts with other entities. Common duties for these professionals include identifying the contractual needs of their agency or business, negotiating with partners, drafting contracts, reviewing contracts from other entities, maintaining documentation, finding solutions to contract-related conflicts and determining whether to renew or terminate contracts when they expire. Contract managers require a good understanding of contract law, excellent verbal and written communication skills and attention to detail.

16. Civil engineer

National average salary: $82,580 per year

Primary duties: Civil engineers are professionals who design important public infrastructure projects for state, local and federal government agencies and private contractors. They often work on projects like power plants, highways, bridges, railways, seaports, civic buildings and airports. Some duties for civil engineers include ensuring compliance with building codes and zoning laws, designing large construction projects in collaboration with construction professionals, architects and government representatives, developing budgets and cost estimates, conducting surveys and feasibility assessments, finding solutions to building challenges and supervising construction.

Read more: Learn About Being a Civil Engineer

17. Patent examiner

National average salary: $104,234 per year

Primary duties: Patent examiners are professionals who review and approve patent applications. These professionals work for a federal agency called the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Primary duties for patent examiners include receiving patent applications from applicants, reviewing patents to ensure that they are legitimate and feasible, referencing applications against existing patents to ensure originality, responding to patent applicants and approving patent applications. Many patent examiners specialize in a specific type of patent, such as biotechnology.