A U.S. diplomat who represents the country at embassies and consulates abroad, working in consular, economic, political, management or public diplomacy roles. BLS does not publish separate figures for management analysts; it counts them within management analyst (SOC 13-1111), whose median pay is $101,860 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-1111
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Foreign Service Officer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $101,860a year, or $48.97/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $61KTop 10% $172K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +10.1%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+10.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +10.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 94,1001,077,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20251.1M
- Projected 20351.2M
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 1.1M Projected 2035 1.2M - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Some college9.5%
- Bachelor's57.1%
- Post-bacc certificate9.5%
- Master's23.8%
Highest education held by management analysts Segment Value Some college 9.5% Bachelor's 57.1% Post-bacc certificate 9.5% Master's 23.8%
Also advertised as: Diplomat, U.S. Diplomat, FSO, Consular Officer, Political Officer, Economic Officer.
Pay
How much do Management Analysts make?
Every foreign service officer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$101,860
Middle half earn $77,950 to $133,370
- 10th
- $60,640
- 25th
- $77,950
- 75th
- $133,370
- 90th
- $171,640
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $60,640 |
| 25th | $77,950 |
| Median | $101,860 |
| 75th | $133,370 |
| 90th | $171,640 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $101,860
- Median hourly wage
- $48.97/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $113,790
- People employed
- 898,280
Versus all US occupations
At $101,860, Management Analysts earn 100% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $50,880 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
Inside the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730, this is 26% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $171,640 or more while the bottom 10% earn $60,640, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 73% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Massachusetts pays the most at $134,720, and still leads at $127,386 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Management Analysts the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Massachusetts | $134,720 | $127,386 | 30,060 |
| 2District of Columbia | $126,140 | $114,776 | 19,000 |
| 3Maryland | $121,680 | $115,931 | 19,170 |
| 4Virginia | $117,580 | $116,296 | 59,620 |
| 5New York | $112,250 | $104,011 | 69,150 |
| 6Washington | $109,170 | $102,016 | 24,760 |
| 7Alabama | $108,040 | $121,635 | 4,900 |
| 8Vermont | $107,520 | $109,761 | 730 |
| 9New Jersey | $105,820 | $97,257 | 22,080 |
| 10Connecticut | $104,960 | $101,303 | 8,000 |
Job outlook
Is Foreign Service Officer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +10.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Management Analysts | +10.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Management Analysts to change 10.1% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.9× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 109,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 94,100 openings are projected each year, 8.7% of the 1,077,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Foreign Service Officer
There is no degree or major requirement, but most officers have a bachelor's degree and many have graduate degrees. Applicants must be U.S. citizens within the age limits and available for worldwide service. The process starts with the Foreign Service Officer Test, followed by personal narratives reviewed by a Qualifications Evaluation Panel and the Foreign Service Officer Assessment.
Candidates who pass also need medical and security clearances and a suitability review before being placed on a ranked register. New officers attend orientation and job and language training at the Foreign Service Institute. Fellowships such as the Pickering and Rangel programs offer another path.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as management analysts.
- Bachelor's Degree57.1%
- Master's Degree23.8%
- Some College Courses9.5%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate9.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 57.1% |
| Master's Degree | 23.8% |
| Some College Courses | 9.5% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 9.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Foreign Service Officer do?
Foreign Service officers carry out U.S. foreign policy overseas and in Washington. Each officer chooses one of five career tracks. Consular officers help Americans abroad and decide visa cases. Economic officers work on trade, energy and investment. Political officers analyze and report on the host country's politics and negotiate on policy. Management officers run embassy operations, and public diplomacy officers handle media, culture and exchange programs.
Officers rotate to a new post every few years, serving across regions and sometimes in hardship or unaccompanied posts. Between tours, they serve in Washington. Most first-tour officers do at least one consular assignment, regardless of track.
Day-to-day tasks
- Interview visa applicants and assist Americans in distress abroad
- Analyze and report on political and economic developments
- Advocate for U.S. policy positions with foreign officials
- Support U.S. businesses and trade interests overseas
- Manage embassy operations, budgets and staff
- Run media, cultural and exchange programs
- Help plan and support visits by senior U.S. officials
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Officers work in embassies, consulates and State Department offices. Life is defined by moving every few years, often to places with health, security or comfort challenges, with families coming along when possible. Hours vary, and crises such as evacuations can bring long days.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Monitoring3.9
- Active Learning3.3
- Mathematics3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Coordination3.9
- Systems Evaluation3.9
- Systems Analysis3.8
- Persuasion3.5
- Instructing3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.5 |
| Instructing | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Configuration management software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Foreign Service Officer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ESI) built on O*NET's Management Analyst profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Foreign Service Officer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Conventional5.5
- Investigative5.4
- Enterprising5.2
- Social3.6
- Artistic1.6
- Realistic1.4
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Foreign Service Officer
O*NET related occupations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with management analysts highlighted
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- Foreign Service Officer$101,860
- Accountant$83,680
- Insurance Underwriter$81,370
- Coroner$80,730
- Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator$78,000
- Loan Officer$76,690
- Human Resources Specialist$75,940
- Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate$67,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Advisor | $105,070 |
| Foreign Service Officer | $101,860 |
| Accountant | $83,680 |
| Insurance Underwriter | $81,370 |
| Coroner | $80,730 |
| Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator | $78,000 |
| Loan Officer | $76,690 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $75,940 |
| Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate | $67,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Foreign Service Officer appears on
Questions
Foreign Service Officer: frequently asked questions
How much do Management Analysts make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for management analysts. It counts them within management analyst, whose median pay is $101,860 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $77,950 and $133,370, and the top 10% earn $171,640 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Foreign Service Officer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Management Analysts, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 57.1% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Foreign Service Officer a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 10.1% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 94,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Foreign Service Officer do?
Foreign Service officers carry out U.S. A typical task: interview visa applicants and assist Americans in distress abroad. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Management Analysts the most?
The highest state medians for Management Analysts are Massachusetts ($134,720), District of Columbia ($126,140), Maryland ($121,680) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Foreign Service Officer?
O*NET scores Management Analysts highest on the Conventional, Investigative and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ENTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.