Political scientist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$72.48 per hour

$150,760 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$53.47 per hour

$111,220 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$40.00 per hour

$83,200 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$19.16 per hour

$39,860 per year

10th percentile

Starting level political scientist earnings begin at:

$18.50 per hour

$38,470 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 25% more than similar careers in Florida.

Career Median Salary
Intelligence analyst salary $68K
Archaeologist salary $50K
Anthropologist salary $50K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)