Political Scientists Salary by State and Metro Area
Political Scientists in the United States earn a median salary of $142,080/year ($68.31/hr). Salaries range from $83,350 to $195,190 depending on experience. Below, compare salaries across 13 states and 7 metro areas where BLS publishes data.
$83K
10th percentile
$114K
25th percentile
$142K
Median
$174K
75th percentile
$195K
90th percentile
Political Scientists salary by state
| State | Median | Hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $153K | $73.74/hr | 100 |
| District of Columbia | $153K | $73.33/hr | 3,070 |
| Washington | $147K | $70.7/hr | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $140K | $67.32/hr | 70 |
| Massachusetts | $134K | $64.39/hr | 170 |
| Colorado | $127K | $61.18/hr | 30 |
| Oregon | $119K | $57.43/hr | , |
| Ohio | $119K | $57.39/hr | 40 |
| Texas | $114K | $54.83/hr | 160 |
| Arizona | $109K | $52.29/hr | 50 |
| Illinois | $104K | $49.89/hr | 110 |
| Michigan | $86K | $41.49/hr | 180 |
| New Hampshire | $75K | $35.84/hr | , |
Showing 1–10 of 13 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Top paying metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $157K | 3,700 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $154K | 80 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $134K | 190 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $114K | 30 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $104K | 90 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $86K | 60 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $80K | , |