Science
Political Scientists
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.
Median salary (BLS)
$142,080
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$83k – $195k
Job outlook
No separate BLS projection for this specific role
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $119,000 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 Scientists
Education
Typical entry: Master's degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Political Scientists Intern
Internship
$41,675
~4 mos to advance
Junior Political Scientists
Entry / Junior
$83,350
~2 yrs to advance
Political Scientists
Established
$142,080
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Political Scientists
Senior
$168,635
Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Science
Explore all- Massachusetts Institute of Technology4% admit · $124,000 grad pay
- California Institute of Technology3% admit · $112,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- Stanford University4% admit · $122,000 grad pay
- University of California, Berkeley11% admit · $97,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.