Political Scientists Salary
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations · 5.5K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$142,080
Median hourly
$68
Average annual
$142,510
Typical range
$83,350–$195,190
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Political Scientists is $142,080 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $68 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics, such as public opinion, political decisionmaking, and ideology.
Most earn between $83,350 and $195,190 a year. There are roughly 5.5K people employed as political scientists in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Political Scientists.
- Hourly
- $68.31
- Daily
- $546
- Weekly
- $2,732
- Bi-weekly
- $5,465
- Monthly
- $11,840
- Annual
- $142,080
$142,080 a year is around the 50th percentile for Political Scientistss. The median is $142,080.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Maryland$153,380
- 2District of Columbia$152,530
- 3Washington$147,060
- 4Pennsylvania$140,020
- 5Massachusetts$133,930
- 6Colorado$127,260
- 7Oregon$119,460
- 8Ohio$119,370
- 9Texas$114,050
- 10Arizona$108,770
- 11Illinois$103,780
- 12Michigan$86,290
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$156,730
- 2Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$153,960
- 3Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$133,930
- 4Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$114,320
- 5Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$103,780
- 6Ann Arbor, MI$86,290
- 7Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$79,990
Related job titles
Employers advertise Political Scientists roles under these titles.
- Citizen Participation Specialist
- Government Affairs Researcher
- Government Affairs Specialist
- Health Policy Analyst
- Legislative Affairs Specialist
- Legislative Analyst
- Legislative Liaison
- Legislative Policy Analyst
- Local Governance Specialist
- Medical Policy Analyst
- Political Analyst
- Political Consultant
- Political Research Scientist
- Political Researcher
- Project Policy Analyst
Related occupations
What a Political Scientists does
- Teach political science.
- Maintain current knowledge of government policy decisions.
- Develop and test theories, using information from interviews, newspapers, periodicals, case law, historical papers, polls, or statistical sources.
- Disseminate research results through academic publications, written reports, or public presentations.
- Advise political science students.
- Collect, analyze, and interpret data, such as election results and public opinion surveys, reporting on findings, recommendations, and conclusions.
- Interpret and analyze policies, public issues, legislation, or the operations of governments, businesses, and organizations.
- Identify issues for research and analysis.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Political Scientists make?
- The median annual wage for Political Scientists is $142,080 ($68 per hour). Pay ranges from about $83,350 at the 10th percentile to $195,190 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Political Scientists?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $142,510, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Political Scientistss the most?
- Maryland has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $153,380.
- Is Political Scientists a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 5.5K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Political Scientists do?
- Teach political science.; Maintain current knowledge of government policy decisions.; Develop and test theories, using information from interviews, newspapers, periodicals, case law, historical papers, polls, or statistical sources..