Political Scientists: Job Description
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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What Tasks Do Political Scientists Take On?
Typical responsibilities of political scientists include:
- 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.
What Political Scientists Need to Know
Successful political scientists draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Political Scientists Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Citizen Participation Specialist
- Government Affairs Researcher
- Government Affairs Specialist
- Health Policy Analyst
- Legislative Affairs Specialist
- Legislative Analyst
- Legislative Liaison
- Legislative Policy Analyst
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 192,429 political scientists working in the United States today. This occupation is expected 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.
Pay 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. These regions lead on median pay:
| 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 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of political scientists are found across 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 |
Below are examples of industries where political scientists 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
The work environment for political scientists reflects 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
This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
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)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for political scientists typically earn 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
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced 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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