What Is the Pay Scale for a Lobbyist?

Lobbyist jobs have an unsavory reputation. The lobbyist examples people often think of are slick operators trading briefcases full of cash for votes that will make their employers rich. In reality, lobbyists work for everyone from fracking and Big Pharma to charities and public interest groups. A lobbyist salary can pay well, but not everyone's got what it takes to persuade politicians for a living.


The average lobbyist salary is ​$115,378​ with the typical salary falling between ​$92,973​ and ​$159,089​.

Lobbyist Description

Technically anyone who calls their representative saying, "Vote this way!" engages in lobbying. The people who hold lobbyist jobs do it full time. The Princeton Review says the name came from the days when lobbyist jobs required lurking in lobbies to buttonhole legislators. Today, working as a lobbyist is First Amendment-protected, so lobbyists can schedule office meetings openly or discuss policy with senators over breakfast.

Vox says lobbyists work for a wide variety of clients. Environmental groups have lobbyists. Trade groups representing various industries have lobbyists. Major corporations have lobbyists. A lobbyist's day may involve detailed presentations on their client's hot button issues, complete with charts, graphs and statistics. It may also include writing articles to promote a particular position or discussions about campaign contributions.

Lobbyist Jobs Education Requirements

Lobbyist jobs don't require any licensing or certification, though you do have to register with the government. There's no education required, but majoring in fields such as political science, journalism, law or public relations can contribute to your career. The real education you need is in government: how it works, who can push your legislation through Congress, who can kill bills that you don't want to pass.

Many lobbyists gain their know-how from past job experience. Working as a congressional staffer or an elected official has given many lobbyists the skills and the personal connections to become successful. Working for an agency that regulates particular industries can do the same. There are laws on how fast someone can switch from elected official or government employee to lobbyist, so it's important to stay within the rules.

A good lobbyist, meaning one who can change legislators' minds, has to be more than knowledgeable. They also have to be well informed about the issues, confident in their cause plus persuasive and charming. As lobbyist jobs require constant interaction with politicians and their staff, being social and outgoing is essential too. If you're not a people person, lobbying might not be the career for you.

Lobbyist Industry

You find lobbyists at both the state and federal levels of government. They work for a wide variety of clients on a wide variety of interests. If you're passionate about a cause, there's probably an organization out there working on it that could use a lobbyist.

Salary says the average salary is ​$115,378​ with the typical lobbyist salary falling between ​$92,973​ and ​$159,089​. The full range is from ​$72,000​ to almost ​$200,000​. The longer you're in the industry, the better your career prospects look: every year you make more connections and increase your influence.