19
Political Scientists is a notable career in the 19 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Political Scientists against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
11
Personal Service Managers, All Other
11
Managers, All Other
11
Buyers and Purchasing Agents
13
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 19-3094 |
| title | Political Scientists |
| onet code | 19-3094.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 5 |
| major group | 19 |
| tot emp | 5,950 |
| a mean | 137,600 |
| a median | 139,380 |
| a pct10 | 74,750 |
| a pct25 | 103,030 |
| a pct75 | 172,050 |
| a pct90 | 191,880 |
| h mean | 66 |
| h median | 67 |
The day-to-day work of a political scientists typically centers on teach political science. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Reading Comprehension, Speaking, and Active Listening. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.91 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working political scientists, the most common entry qualification is a Doctoral Degree (88.5%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 100% of incumbents. This is a degree-heavy profession — most incumbents hold a four-year degree or beyond.
Median annual pay is highest in Virginia at $163,950 and lowest in New Hampshire at $63,500 — a 2.6× spread. The top five states (Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, Washington, Pennsylvania) average $147,912. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $163,950 | $154,860 | $87,320 | $191,880 | 660 |
| District of Columbia | $153,320 | $152,440 | $110,590 | $191,880 | 3,250 |
| Maryland | $148,680 | $148,480 | $97,930 | $191,880 | 130 |
| Washington | $140,970 | $129,730 | $75,350 | $179,700 | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $132,640 | $138,120 | $75,420 | $192,420 | 90 |
| California | $130,630 | $132,240 | $75,180 | $191,880 | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $130,580 | $129,460 | $67,580 | $206,330 | — |
| Michigan | $125,750 | $119,030 | $64,680 | $205,410 | 120 |
| Texas | $111,720 | $109,340 | $76,020 | $136,340 | 170 |
| Arizona | $104,100 | $104,670 | $68,020 | $167,960 | 40 |
| Ohio | $99,130 | $101,770 | $60,270 | $139,400 | 50 |
| Illinois | $98,300 | $100,690 | $71,990 | $136,970 | 110 |
| Georgia | $80,000 | $81,840 | $51,210 | $112,000 | 30 |
| New Jersey | $74,760 | $78,520 | $69,120 | $99,590 | 70 |
| New York | $74,080 | $100,490 | $74,070 | $179,980 | 210 |
| New Hampshire | $63,500 | $93,170 | $33,380 | $166,790 | — |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for political scientists. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Citizen Participation Specialist or Government Affairs Researcher frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Political Scientists compares to others in the 19 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Political Scientists
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
Explore More Data Tools
For adjacent public-data tools, methodology notes, and network updates, visit DataPeek Facts.