Campaign Manager

Create strategies to get a political candidate elected.

National Salary

$67,000 – $128,000

Data from U.S. Department of Labor

What do Campaign Managers do?

America’s defining feature is her democratic system of government, at the center of which are free elections. A vote on Election Day isn’t just for an individual, however. It’s for an entire army of political staffers and supporters, all headed up by the Campaign Manager, who leads the political campaign.

You see, a political campaign is a lot like a corporation. When running for office, a Politician needs a lot more than a bright smile and a firm handshake. To win, he or she also needs a staff, a budget, and a brand — just like a company. And when you’re a Campaign Manager, it’s your job to lead a political campaign like a CEO leads a business. No matter what office your candidate is running for—for instance, City Council Representative, Mayor, State Representative, U.S. Senator, or even President Of The United States —you’re paid to successfully manage the business of getting him or her elected.

Your duties, therefore, are multifaceted: As a Campaign Manager, you hire, supervise, and delegate work to campaign staff and volunteers. You research, plan, and implement campaign strategies based on polls. You coordinate your candidate’s calendar. You manage the campaign’s fundraising and spending. And you oversee all branding, marketing, communications, and PR.

Whether you’re responding to a personal scandal, writing a sharp speech, producing an attack ad against an opponent, or soliciting funds from a crowd of donors, your goal is always the same: Get your candidate elected!