Political scientist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$63.37 per hour

$131,810 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$59.96 per hour

$124,720 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$45.99 per hour

$95,660 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$36.31 per hour

$75,530 per year

10th percentile

Starting level political scientist earnings begin at:

$24.74 per hour

$51,450 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Political scientist salary by state

State Name Average Salary
California $99,340
Texas $95,890
Arizona $95,660
Ohio $86,220
Florida $83,200
New Hampshire $82,410
Illinois $80,450
Michigan $78,550
Massachusetts $78,060
Georgia $73,740
Maine $73,200
Kentucky $60,270
Vermont $59,500
Pennsylvania $50,730
Virginia $158,510
Maryland $145,950
District of Columbia $127,880
Washington $119,770
New York $102,220

How do political scientist salaries compare to similar careers?

Political scientists earn 33% more than similar careers in Arizona.

Career Median Salary
Intelligence analyst salary $91K
Sociologist salary $62K
Archaeologist salary $60K
Anthropologist salary $60K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)