Political Scientists
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Political Scientists in the United States earn a median salary of $142,080 per year — about $68 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 7K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of -3%.
AI & Automation Risk
Political science is a purely digital knowledge-work occupation centered on data analysis, research, and writing, all of which are core strengths of generative AI and LLMs. While high-level strategic judgment and interpersonal networking remain human-centric, AI can now automate the collection of public opinion data, the drafting of policy briefs, and the forecasting of political trends, leading to significant productivity gains and a projected decline in total employment.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVBEST VALUE | $156,730 | Above avg (108.9) | $143,942 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $153,960 | Above avg (111.1) | $138,537 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $133,930 | Above avg (108.3) | $123,705 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $114,320 | Above avg (103.3) | $110,651 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $103,780 | Above avg (103.6) | $100,179 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $86,290 | Average (100.9) | $85,537 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $79,990 | Average (100.3) | $79,752 |