Political Scientists: Career Profile
Study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics, such as public opinion, political decisionmaking, and ideology. May analyze the structure and operation of governments, as well as various political entities. May conduct public opinion surveys, analyze election results, or analyze public documents.
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The Daily Work of Political Scientists Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of political scientists span:
- 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective political scientists combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Political Scientists Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Citizen Participation Specialist
- Government Affairs Researcher
- Government Affairs Specialist
- Health Policy Analyst
- Legislative Affairs Specialist
- Legislative Analyst
- Legislative Liaison
- Legislative Policy Analyst
How Many Political Scientists Are There?
There are about 192,429 political scientists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +5.4% over the projection horizon.
Political Scientists Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $71,521 |
| Hourly median | $34.39 |
| 10th percentile | $44,944 |
| 25th percentile | $58,233 |
| 75th percentile | $84,809 |
| 90th percentile | $98,098 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Political Scientists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Virginia | $163,950 |
| District of Columbia | $153,320 |
| Maryland | $148,680 |
| Washington | $140,970 |
| Pennsylvania | $132,640 |
| California | $130,630 |
| Massachusetts | $130,580 |
| Michigan | $125,750 |
| Texas | $111,720 |
| Arizona | $104,100 |
| Ohio | $99,130 |
| Illinois | $98,300 |
| Georgia | $80,000 |
| New Jersey | $74,760 |
| New York | $74,080 |
| New Hampshire | $63,500 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for political scientists vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $146,758 | 70.4% | 103.06 |
| Far Western US | $138,248 | 3.6% | 0.78 |
| Southeast | $122,896 | 16.9% | 3.20 |
| Southwest | $110,268 | 3.9% | 0.33 |
| Great Lakes | $110,212 | 5.3% | 0.53 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $153,340 | 3,910 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $140,970 | 100 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $130,580 | |
| Ann Arbor, MI | MI | $105,300 | 80 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $104,990 | 30 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | AZ | $104,640 | 30 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $98,300 | 90 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $80,000 | 30 |
Top Industries Employing Political Scientists
The largest employers of political scientists work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 940 | $130,580 |
| Educational Services | 330 | $81,620 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 150 | $91,150 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Python (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for political scientists is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Getting Started in This Career
The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers (Supplemental)
- Labor Relations Specialists (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Climate Change Policy Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Economists (Primary-Short)
- Environmental Economists (Primary-Long)
- Survey Researchers (Primary-Long)
- Sociologists (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Aspiring political scientists commonly pursue programs in:
Social Sciences
8 programs across 2 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
3 programs across 3 majors
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
2 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-3094.00 (Political Scientists).
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