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Education

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in political science, international affairs, and international relations. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Median salary (BLS)

$98,070

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$56k – $175k

Job outlook

+2% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $85,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

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Typical progression

  1. Junior Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

    Entry / Junior

    $56,450

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

    Established

    $98,070

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

    Senior

    $136,365

Key skills

A typical day

  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as classical political thought, international relations, and democracy and citizenship.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.