Political scientist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$48.18 per hour

$100,220 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$39.08 per hour

$81,292 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$30.97 per hour

$64,423 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level political scientist earnings begin at:

$24.55 per hour

$51,055 per year

10th percentile

Starting level political scientist earnings begin at:

$19.91 per hour

$41,413 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Political scientist salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Arizona $94,420
Florida $88,470
Texas $88,070
Ohio $86,220
Massachusetts $82,110
Washington $76,660
Michigan $76,560
Georgia $73,740
Maine $67,760
Illinois $64,423
California $63,970
Virginia $141,340
Maryland $129,870
New York $124,620
District of Columbia $123,130
Pennsylvania $102,110

How do political scientist salaries compare to similar careers?

Political scientists earn 14% less than similar careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than sociologists.

Career Median Salary
Sociologist salary $75K
Intelligence analyst salary $76K
Political scientist salary $64K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)