Political Scientists Salary: $135,834 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 5,950 political scientists nationally earn a mean of $135,834. Employment in the series shown fell about 75% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.1% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Political Scientists: what the data shows
Common questions about political scientists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a political scientists?
Political Scientists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 19-3094.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 5,950 workers.
What does a political scientists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Processing Information, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a political scientists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $139,380 (May 2024 in our extract).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $77,223 |
| 25th percentile | $87,331 |
| Median (50th) | $134,180 |
| 75th percentile | $174,661 |
| 90th percentile | $197,095 |
What education do you need?
For Political Scientists, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Law and Government, English Language, Education and Training, History and Archeology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is political scientists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.1% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 11.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 23.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 5,950.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do political scientistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 5,950 | 17.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 4,670 | 13.3% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 4,380 | 12.5% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 4,380 | 12.5% |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 4,040 | 11.5% |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | 4,040 | 11.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Political Scientists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 17,170 | $94,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 12,460 | $65,480 |
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 16,600 | $71,410 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Political Scientists workforce.
Employment Over Time
5,950 Workforce in 2023
The Political Scientists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Political Scientists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$135,834 Average Wage
In 2023, Political Scientists earned an average of $135,834.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Political Scientists.
Salary distribution for Political Scientists.
Employment Growth Projections
2.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
155 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 11.1%
172 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 23.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.1% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Political Scientists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Political Scientists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Political Scientists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Political Scientists.
Wage Trends by Industry
5.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 65.0% growth (Current: $135,834)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Political Scientists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Political Scientists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 20 employees, N/A avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Political Scientists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 20 employees, N/A avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Political Scientists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Political Scientists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Political Scientists in 2023 was 5,950 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Political Scientists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Political Scientists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Political Scientists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Political Scientists in 2023 were Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics.
Common majors for Political Scientists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Political Scientists workers.
Education level distribution for Political Scientists.
Skills
Political Scientists need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing.
Required skills for Political Scientists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Political Scientists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Political Scientists include Law and Government, English Language, Education and Training, History and Archeology, Mathematics.
Knowledge areas required for Political Scientists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Political Scientists include Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Written Expression, Speech Clarity.
Required abilities for Political Scientists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Political Scientists.
Daily Activities
Political Scientists spend their time on activities such as Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Processing Information, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others.
Most important work activities for Political Scientists.
About
Political Scientists
The average yearly wage for Political Scientists was $135,834 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-3094 - Political Scientists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Political Scientists reports an average salary of $135,834, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 5,950 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.