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Political Scientists Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 19-3094 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$142,085
$68.31/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Political Scientists salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$83K
P25$114K
P50$142K
P75$174K
P90$195K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
🔥
Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- professional & business services job openings are running at 5.5% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $142,085 to $174,179 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Political Scientists pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 1.9% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · HOT

Professional & Business Services is running a 5.5% job-openings rate with quits at 2.2% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.2% down to 5.5%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.3 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 2.5% per year. Nationally, wages rose 3.2% while CPI hit 3.5%, so real wages turned negative.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Political Scientists is $142,085 per year ($68.31/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $114,026 and $174,179 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $195,187 per year. There are approximately 5,540 political scientists employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-3.1%
Slower than average
Annual openings
500
per year, on avg
Workforce today
7K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Master's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
4K$151,990
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
480$169,710
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
400$102,360
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
170$85,460
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
160$103,780
Wage range across top 5 industries: $85,460 to $169,710 (99% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$40.07$83,346
P25$54.82$114,026
P50MEDIAN$68.31$142,085
P75$83.74$174,179
P90$93.84$195,187

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · professional sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.5%
Quits Rate
2.2%

Professional & Business Services openings eased to 1.30M in June (-71K), rate 5.5% -- still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%. White-collar demand is cooling at the edges but remains the tightest market.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average political scientists salary?

The national median salary for Political Scientists is $142,085 per year ($68.31/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $114,026 and $174,179 annually.

How much do top-earning political scientists make?

The 90th percentile salary for Political Scientists is $195,187 per year ($93.84/hr). The 75th percentile is $174,179 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for political scientists?

Entry-level Political Scientists (10th percentile) earn approximately $83,346 per year ($40.07/hr). The 25th percentile is $114,026 per year.

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Political Scientists Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
District of Columbia3,070 workersMichigan180 workersMassachusetts170 workersTexas160 workersIllinois110 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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