Occupation salary profile

Political Scientists

SOC 19-3094 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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. Excludes “Survey Researchers” (19-3022).

National median · BLS
$142,080
▲ +1.94% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$100,000
▲ +11.11% YoY · 79 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$142,510
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
5,540
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Political Scientists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 79 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$83,350$65,000
25th$114,030$79,309
Median (50th)$142,080$100,000
75th$174,180$120,000
90th — top pay$195,190$152,000
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $100,000 for Political Scientists — 29.6% below the BLS national median of $142,080.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Political Scientists

BLS projects employment of political scientists to decline 2% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
6,100 → 6,000
-100 jobs
Projected change
-2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Master's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
2.5% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 5)
Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a master's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $100,000
Change vs prior year +11.11%
After inflation (CPI-U) +7.74%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 27 34.2% $65,000 $72,000 $87,500
Level II 25 31.6% $90,000 $104,042 $117,266
Level III 13 16.5% $120,000 $132,310 $140,000
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Political Scientists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Reading Comprehension4.3
  • Active Learning4.1
  • Active Listening4.1
  • Speaking4.1
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Social Perceptiveness3.8
  • Complex Problem Solving3.6
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.6
  • Instructing3.5
Top knowledge areas
  • Law and Government4.7
  • English Language4.4
  • Education and Training4.3
  • History and Archeology3.4
  • Mathematics3.4
  • Communications and Media3.3
  • Sociology and Anthropology3.2
  • Geography3.1
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordAdobe AcrobatIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Active Server Pages ASPMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft VisioPythonRSAP softwareSASTableauBare Bones Software BBEditCQ Press Political Reference Suite

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What political scientists do

  • Teach political science.
  • Maintain current knowledge of government policy decisions.
  • Develop and test theories, using information from interviews, newspapers, periodicals, case law, historical papers, polls, or statistical sources.
  • Disseminate research results through academic publications, written reports, or public presentations.
  • Advise political science students.
  • Collect, analyze, and interpret data, such as election results and public opinion surveys, reporting on findings, recommendations, and conclusions.
  • Interpret and analyze policies, public issues, legislation, or the operations of governments, businesses, and organizations.
  • Identify issues for research and analysis.
More job titles for this occupation (23)
Citizen Participation SpecialistGovernment Affairs ResearcherGovernment Affairs SpecialistHealth Policy AnalystLegislative Affairs SpecialistLegislative AnalystLegislative LiaisonLegislative Policy AnalystLocal Governance SpecialistMedical Policy AnalystPolicy AdvisorPolicy AnalystPolicy AssociatePolicy OfficerPolicy SpecialistPolitical AdvisorPolitical AidePolitical AnalystPolitical ConsultantPolitical Research ScientistPolitical ResearcherProject Policy AnalystStrategist

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.