How To Become A Government Affairs Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a government affairs specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Brian W. Lagotte

The Government Affairs Specialist is an individual lobbyist who aids a community's legislative efforts at the local, regional, state, and federal levels. He/She works with elected leaders, government officials, the lobbying community, and stakeholders. To do this, he/she attends legislative sessions to represent the community's positions and interests. He/She develops a strong working relationship with every stakeholder from the elected leaders to the residents, government officials, and others. Additionally, he/she educates others about efforts, activities, policies, and programs.

Employers look for candidates with a bachelor's degree in political science, public policy, or a related field. They also require a minimum of two years of relevant work experience. You must possess a valid driver's license coupled with communication, organization, management, and data analysis skills. You must also be proficient in Microsoft Office. You must be conversant with the principles of government operations. The average annual salary for a Government Affairs Specialist is $58,926.

What general advice would you give to a government affairs specialist?

Dr. Brian W. Lagotte

Assistant Teaching Professor Director of Undergraduate Studies, University of Kansas

Don’t rush it. Your 20s are for exploration, gaining “real-world” experience, and figuring out what type of career you want in the first place. Your 30s are for gaining opportunities for that career, and then your 40s and 50s are when you do your best work. You are not going to establish your lifelong career the first year out of university.

ScoreGovernment Affairs SpecialistUS Average

Salary

5.0

Avg. Salary $64,263

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.2

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.09%

Asian 6.25%

Black or African American 7.39%

Hispanic or Latino 14.67%

Unknown 6.45%

White 64.15%

Gender

female 60.32%

male 39.68%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

4.2

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a government affairs specialist

Explore government affairs specialist education requirements

Most common government affairs specialist degrees

Bachelor's

71.6 %

Master's

9.9 %

Associate

5.4 %

Start to develop specific government affairs specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
PowerPoint	22.56%
Government Affairs	12.91%
Public Policy	8.30%
Regulatory Issues	7.25%
Government Agencies	5.99%

Research government affairs specialist duties and responsibilities

Construct and manage the request for proposal (RFP) process for an establish software corporation in the grants management sector.
Manage and engage grassroots patient advocate network through utilization of an online database, monthly teleconferences, and ongoing communications.
Involve in meetings for product development and Medicare and Medicaid expansion activities.
Complete required RFI's and RFP's for candidate considerations.

Apply for government affairs specialist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a government affairs specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do government affairs specialists rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Government affairs specialist reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020

Pros

It allows me to work with wonderful people. The change I get to make is amazing.

Cons

It is very annoying sometimes