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Political Scientists

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeLower pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $142,080 Median per year · $68.31/hr Most earn $83,350–$195,190

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Identify issues for research and analysis.
  • Advise political science students.
  • Serve on committees.
  • Evaluate programs and policies, and make related recommendations to institutions and organizations.
  • Evaluate programs and policies, and make related recommendations to institutions and organizations.
  • Collect, analyze, and interpret data, such as election results and public opinion surveys, reporting on findings, recommendations, and conclusions.

Job outlook

United States
2% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Federal government, excluding postal service67.5%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools8.5%
  • Research and development in the social sciences and humanities6.9%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals3.1%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals2.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Political scientist is not an entry-level job. Most people need a doctoral degree and some research or policy experience first, and the whole path usually takes about 10 years or more after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in political science or a related field

    4 years

    You build a base in government, political systems, research methods, and statistics, and you can start finding professors and projects that interest you.

  2. Research Assistant

    6 months to 1 year

    You help a professor, think tank, or research office collect data, run surveys, or analyze documents, which shows graduate programs you can do real research.

  3. Doctoral degree (PhD) in political science

    4-6 years

    You take advanced courses in research design and statistics, then complete an original dissertation based on your own research.

  4. Political Scientist

    Ongoing

    You study political systems, public opinion, and elections, and you may analyze survey data, election results, or public documents for government, nonprofits, or universities.

Where it can lead

  1. Political Science Teacher, Postsecondary

    1-2 years of experience first

    You move from research into teaching college courses, which usually means building a record of publications and teaching experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take government, history, and economics classesThese courses give you the background to understand how political systems work.
  • Join debate or Model UNYou practice researching issues, weighing evidence, and explaining your views clearly.
  • Take the highest-level math you can, including statistics if offeredQuantitative skills are used constantly in political science research.
  • Volunteer on a local campaign or with a community organizationYou see how elections and local government work up close.
  • Read news and public policy reports regularlyThis builds your understanding of current issues and how to evaluate sources.

In college

  • Major in political science and add a statistics or research methods courseThese courses build the core research and data skills that graduate programs look for.
  • Work as a research assistant for a professorYou gain hands-on research experience and a reference who can support a graduate application.
  • Intern at a government office, legislative office, or think tankYou see how political research and analysis are used in real decisions.
  • Join a student government, debate team, or political organizationYou develop leadership, public speaking, and teamwork skills.
  • Learn a data tool such as Excel, R, or PythonMany political science jobs involve analyzing survey and election data, so these skills make you more competitive.

Tips for getting started

  • Take statistics and research methods courses early. Data skills are used in almost every political science research job.
  • Ask professors whether you can help with their research. Hands-on experience matters a lot when you apply to graduate programs.
  • Practice writing clear, short summaries of your work. Political scientists must explain findings to people outside the field.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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