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
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
Industry
Workforce
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)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual 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
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
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.
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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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