Political scientist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$73.41 per hour

$152,680 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$64.61 per hour

$134,400 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$57.58 per hour

$119,770 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$36.47 per hour

$75,860 per year

10th percentile

Starting level political scientist earnings begin at:

$30.15 per hour

$62,710 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 26% more than similar careers in Washington.

Career Median Salary
Intelligence analyst salary $102K
Archaeologist salary $77K
Anthropologist salary $77K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)