Political scientist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$61.24 per hour

$127,370 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$61.24 per hour

$127,370 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$37.53 per hour

$78,060 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$29.42 per hour

$61,200 per year

10th percentile

Starting level political scientist earnings begin at:

$14.32 per hour

$29,790 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 about the same as related careers in Massachusetts. On average, they make less than sociologists but more than social workers.

Career Median Salary
Sociologist salary $82K
Political scientist salary $78K
Social worker salary $89K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)