Political Scientists Salary in the US
A political scientists earns a national median of $142,080 a year (mean $142,510) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #45 of 825.
How much does a political scientists earn in the US?
A political scientists in the United States earns a median of $142,080 a year (mean $142,510), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 179% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 5,540 people work in this occupation (SOC 19-3094), ranked #45 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$142,080
per year
Mean
$142,510
per year
Employment
5,540
US workers
National rank
#45
of 825 by median
What a political scientists earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a political scientists (SOC 19-3094) earns a median annual wage of $142,080 and a mean (average) of $142,510. The median is the midpoint — half of political scientists earn more and half earn less — and is 179% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a political scientists in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for political scientists is $142,080, and the mean (average) is $142,510. The median is the midpoint — half of political scientists earn more and half earn less.
- How does political scientists pay compare to the US average?
- At $142,080, a political scientists earns 179% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many political scientists are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 5,540 political scientists employed nationally (SOC 19-3094), across all industries.
- Where does this political scientists salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 19-3094. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
Compare nearby occupations
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- Managers, All Other$141,900
- Pharmacists$140,910
- Computer and Information Research Scientists$140,300
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- Software Developers$135,980
Find political scientists jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which political scientists roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 19-3094 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries