Consumer advocates maintain the rights of the customer to attain safe products and services at reasonable prices. They offer direct assistance to consumers through an assortment of means. They are avid about the security and wellbeing of consumers and consequently advocate for or against particular products or services that may or may not be secure or advantageous for the consuming public. Some advocates are employed for government agencies while others are employed by non-profit organizations. Some advocates specialize in one field while others cross many. It can be an enormously gratifying career though it’s not always an uncomplicated one. The following is a list of ten reasons to become a consumer advocate and what benefits the field offers.


1. Potential to earn a good salary- Salaries vary according to the type of advocacy that you are performing, but at the high end can be around $70,000 per year.

2. People come from a variety of backgrounds- There is no set education or experience when it comes to consumer advocacy. Common backgrounds can include government administration, law, political science, community education, and public policy.

3. A range of job availabilities- It’s possible to find work for consumer advocates on a mixture of levels, from working on the municipal level to working at the federal government level. You can also volunteer.

4. Career advancement- Some consumer advocates are able to advance to managerial or supervisory positions and even become directors of consumer affairs in big companies or for the government.

5. Good job outlook- It is expected that the need for consumer advocacy jobs will increase due to the increased support of the general consumer movement. Even though advocacy positions tend to be influenced by hard economic times, on the whole they appear to be increasing in the general sense.

6. A variety of job specializations- Within the computer advocacy field there are many types of different jobs that are available. Some work in grant making while others help formulate and regulate policies. There are also advocates who work directly with public relations and those who work as teachers.

7. Potential for good benefits- Those who are employed by the government can generally expect to look forward to good benefits which can include retirement plans, health and life insurance policies, vacation days, and other incentives.

8. Personally gratifying job- If you like the idea of helping the public make good consumer choices then this can be a great job choice for you. It can be extremely gratifying to know that you are partly responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of consumers who previously were unaware of any dangers associated with a product or service.

9. You like working with people- Consumer advocacy requires a lot of work with people from a lot of different backgrounds, from the public to community groups and government organizations.

10. You have good selling skills- Most of the job requires the advocate to sell their idea to people in order to convince them that they are right. If you are a good seller and have great communication skills then this job could be the right one for you.