How to become an elected officer or representative
Official title: Elected officers and representatives
Also called: City councillor, Assembly member, County councillor, Borough councillor, Secretary of state, District councillor, Member of parliament, Member of european parliament, Member of scottish parliament, Member of the legislative assembly, Member of northern ireland assembly
Elected representatives in national government formulate and ratify legislation and government policy, act as elected representatives in Parliament, Regional Parliaments or Assemblies, and as representatives of the government and its executive. Elected officers in local government act as representatives in the local authority and participate in the formulation, ratification and implementation of local government policies.
Main tasks
- Represents constituency within the legislature and advises and assists constituents on a variety of issues
- Acts as a Party representative within the constituency
- Participates in debates and votes on legislative and other matters
- Holds positions on parliamentary or local government committees
- Tables questions to ministers and introduces proposals for government action
- Recommends or reviews potential policy or legislative change, and offers advice and opinions on current policy
- Advises on the interpretation and implementation of policy decisions, acts and regulations
- Studies and acts upon any legislation that may affect the local authority
How to become one
Entry is by election.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £31,465 a year
- About 12,300 people work in this job now, and about 13,500 are projected by 2035. (+9.6%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become an elected officer or representative?
Entry is by election.
How much does an elected officer or representative earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £31,465 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is an elected officer or representative a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 12,300 to about 13,500 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become an elected officer or representative?
Usually. 64% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03