Career is one of the mechanisms designed to ensure the unity of interests of all subjects of professional relations in the state civil and municipal service. The study of the socio-psychological aspects of the career in the state civil and municipal service is particularly relevant, because in the process of optimally constructed career of an employee, taking into account these features, a balance can be achieved between the state's needs and the needs of state and municipal employees. The aim of this paper is to study the phenomenon of professional career and its structure in terms of system-forming professional self-concept. The paper uses the results of an empirical sociological study of state civil and municipal officials of state authorities and local self-government of the Sverdlovsk region carried out by the authors in 2017. The authors consider some socio-psychological aspects of the career of state and municipal employees, including motives for entry to the service, career motivation, attractiveness of the service, the person's desire to work in the field of one's training, career orientations, motives for changing one's position. The influence of the work experience on career expectations, career orientation and forecasts of their career advancement is also considered. As a result of the analysis, the authors found that within the group of state civil and municipal employees there is a sufficient differentiation in relation to career orientations and the vision of their career. The authors propose their own classification of these groups: «career-oriented», «stable professionals», «potentially outgoing», «doubters». An analysis of the determinants of the career will allow the development of certain recommendations, improve the work of state civil and municipal employees, and contribute to improving the effectiveness of public service in the Russian Federation.