Political Scientists
Life, Physical, and Social Science
A typical stretch of work is reading policy, case law, news, polls, and election returns, then testing ideas about how governments and political groups actually operate. Results are written up in papers and reports or given as talks; many also teach political science and advise students. Staying current on government decisions is part of the job, not a side task. The same analysis can cover public opinion, legislation, or how a government, business, or other organization makes decisions. It suits people who like close reading, careful argument, and explaining political questions in speech and in writing.
Typical education: Doctoral Degree (Ph.D., Ed.D.)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$142'080
Median Wage Market Position
$142'080
What you might do
- Study how governments and political systems work
- Analyze policies, laws, and public issues
- Interpret election results and public opinion surveys
- Test theories against interviews, polls, and records
- Share findings in papers, reports, or talks
- Teach political science and advise students
Skills that matter
- Teaching political science
- Tracking current government policy decisions
- Analyzing election results and opinion surveys
- Publishing papers on government and ideology
- Interpreting legislation and how governments operate
- Advising political science students
AI & the future of this role
Polling digests, document review, and forecasting write-ups may be produced faster by models trained on public data. Deep institutional knowledge and high-stakes advice still matter in niches, but much day-to-day analysis sits on screen and looks highly exposed.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details