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| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 488 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 519 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 519 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 489 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 546 | 0.00% |
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $58,942 | $28.34 | +2.6% |
| 2025 | $57,471 | $27.63 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $55,284 | $26.58 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $54,127 | $26.02 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | $53,742 | $25.84 | +14.6% |
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 146 | 21% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 101 | 13% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 67 | 12% |
| 4 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 364 | 10% |
| 5 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 303 | 10% |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 538 | 9% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 527 | 9% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 89 | 8% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 64 | 7% |
| 10 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 781 | 6% |
| 11 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 524 | 6% |
| 12 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 392 | 6% |
| 13 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 388 | 6% |
| 14 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 362 | 6% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 84 | 6% |
| 16 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 50 | 6% |
| 17 | Alaska | 739,795 | 45 | 6% |
| 18 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 360 | 5% |
| 19 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 332 | 5% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 67 | 5% |
University of Central Missouri
University of Maine
Louisiana State University and A&M College
University of Massachusetts Boston
Coastal Carolina University
Ohio State University
The University of West Florida
University of New Orleans
Mercer University
Dr. Ghaidaa Hetou PhD: My advice would be not to expect your career path to be straightforward as a political science graduate, like a career in hard sciences for example. Every turn will give you an opportunity to learn and grow. Internship opportunities can lead to full time job offers, and sometimes entry jobs are the sure way to get your foot in the door, and an opportunity to prove your value to the organization. A degree in political science does not have to lead necessarily to Law School, you can start your career at state or federal government offices. In addition, investment and financial sectors are in need of in-house researchers in the politics and cultures of different countries.
Dr. Gregory Streich: My general advice to a graduate starting their career is to realize that your first job will not be your last. In other words, it is increasingly common for people to change jobs and move both horizontally and vertically throughout their careers. It's important, however, to realize that at each step of your career, you are not just applying skills you learned as an undergraduate, you are sharpening those skills and acquiring new skills with each position. So, whenever you apply for a promotion with your current employer or an opening with another employer, the skills and experiences you've accumulated over time will help you continue to succeed.
Dr. Gregory Streich: Over the next 3-5 years, several skills will continue to be important for anyone in the job market: communication, critical thinking, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills have been and will continue to be important. However, two additional skills will become more sought after in the next 3 - 5 years. First, we live in a world of data, so whether it is gathering data, analyzing it, summarizing it, and/or using it to guide decisions and shape policies will be increasingly crucial moving forward. And, second, as we enter a world in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly prevalent, we will need to hone our skills to understand the ethical use of AI and anticipate ways in which it will impact society, the economy, and the job market (for better or worse).
Dr. Gregory Streich: To maximize your salary potential when starting your career, I have two suggestions. First, consider adding a minor to your major. Political Science provides students with a certain set of skills and content knowledge, but to maximize your earning potential consider adding a minor that will broaden your skillset. For example, add a minor in something like technical writing, creative writing, digital marketing, economics, or statistics. Depending on your career path, these minors can provide you with a wider range of skills that will appeal to potential employers. Second, don't be afraid to negotiate your starting salary. It's exciting to get a job offer and jump at it, but employers typically have a pay range. And if you have additional skills or experiences, this could be the basis for negotiating a higher starting salary.
Robert Glover: In general, I really push students in political science to gain skills in quantitative methods, data management, and data analysis. There's simply no trajectory from a political science degree where having those skills will be a disadvantage, even for something like law school or working for a government agency. Graduates are increasingly going to be expected to explore, make sense of, and utilize data. And it's a transferrable set of skills that enables you to pivot between different types or roles, even entirely different industries. The data analysis skills that might be useful for a political campaign can also be used for marketing research, consulting, or economic development work. So it's important to gain these skills and also be strategic in how you can market yourself to different types of potential employers.
Robert Glover: Again, this would depend on a student's career trajectory. For law school, the general advice is to go to the best ranked law school you can gain admission to, with the most generous financial support package. However, for someone entering government work, they might need to take more of a "long view." If a lower entry level pay translates into greater job security, more generous benefits, and the ability to build time and rank in government service that will eventually result in a higher salary, that might be a better option. Graduating political science students should also take into account the cost of living. An entry level salary in DC or a state capital might seem lucrative at first glance but might end up negated by the premium you pay to live there. So try to take account of not just the salary, but also the cost of living.
Robert Glover: That would really depend on which path the student is choosing from a Political Science degree. If they're considering law school or graduate school, the best advice can sometimes be to take a break after their undergraduate degree as it affords them time to gain practical work experience and earn some money (and to prepare for the intensity of advanced study). If they're moving into work in government or political advocacy/communications, they should be intentional in the types of candidates, organizations, and causes they're working for. The networks one develops early on can really shape future career trajectories.
Louisiana State University and A&M College
Political Science And Government
James Garand: The best thing about being a political science major is that you get to study politics, which is a topic that draws the interest of many students. Moreover, doing work in government and/or politics can be very rewarding work, and for those who pursue the Ph.D. and an academic career the ability to work closely with and mentor students is also very rewarding. The only real negative about studying politics is that we are in the midst of a period of contentious politics, with polarization in the mass public and among government officials creating what is for some people a distasteful political environment. For some students contentious politics makes politics particularly interesting, but for other students the contentious nature of politics today might stifle their interest in the subject. Overall, though, if one is interested in politics, political science is the appropriate major, and there are many job opportunities, particularly for those interested enough in pursuing an advanced degree in the law, public administration, public policy, international studies, or in political science itself at the Ph.D. level.
James Garand: Political science is always a good field to study if one is interested in pursuing a career as a lawyer, to work in local/state/federal government, to pursue advanced study in public administration, public policy, or international studies, or to pursue the Ph.D. and seek an academic career.
James Garand: There are not many jobs called “political scientist” for someone with only an undergraduate degree in political science. Most “political scientists” have advance degrees, usually a Ph.D., and are professors in colleges and universities around the country. Instead, students with an undergraduate degree in political science should be able to develop the skill set that can propel them into a career requiring what one learns in a standard liberal arts education—hopefully, the development of good writing skills, analytical and critical thinking, and a strong work ethic. These are skills that have broad applicability in the labor force. For many of our students, the political science degree is a gateway degree in the pursuit of an advanced degree. First, a very large share of our students are interested in going to law school and pursuing a career as an attorney. The political science major requires the development of strong writing, analytical, and critical thinking skills, and the subject matter of this major also means that students can learn about both the structure of the U.S. government and, more importantly, the characteristics of the U.S. judicial system. Many of our students take courses on judicial politics, constitutional law, and civil rights and liberties, and these courses provide the basics for students interested in a career in the law. Second, some of our students pursue a master’s degree in public administration, public policy, or international studies to support a career working in government, for a non-profit policy organization, or doing work abroad. Often this involves an internship while students are still enrolled in our undergraduate program, and combining classroom learning and an internship can give them the skill set to pursue this kind of job or to move on to a master’s program. Third, some undergraduate students in political science do work in quantitative methods and statistics in a political science department, and this prepares them for work as an political or policy analyst, either for a government organization or for a political party or other political organization. There is an increased demand for job candidates interested in politics and government and who have quantitative methods skills, so students who are so inclined can pursue this kind of training and become competitive for employment, particularly if coupled with a master’s degree in public administration of public policy. And finally, some of our best students pursue the Ph.D. in political science and seek out a career as a political science professor. One must really be interested in politics and a life of the mind to pursue this option, but we get a number of students who are so inclined and who have gone on to receive the Ph.D. and have successful academic careers.
Paul Kowert: Maximizing one’s salary potential is, at least in part, a question of the fit between one’s skills and job opportunities. There are many sorts of opportunities. For example, most large towns and cities in the United States are governed using a council-manager system, and there is a considerable need for individuals with the policy skills and training to serve in local government. Policy training is also relevant at the state and federal level, but other sorts of skills—such as relevant language training, statistical training, and more specialized knowledge about parts of the government, the law, or regions of the world—may also come into play for certain careers. Building these skills in college will give you an advantage as you seek better positions.
Paul Kowert: There are many career opportunities for students studying political science and international relations and, if anything, these opportunities are growing! The public sector is extensive, and much of it also includes jobs with some international dimension. This is not only true at the federal level, but also in state and even local government. My advice is unglamorous: the most important skills one gets from college are also the most straightforward. Improving one’s writing and quantitative skills and honing one’s ability to think clearly through complex matters will have lasting benefits. We underestimate their importance because it’s hard to see how writing one more paper in a college course will make a difference. But cumulatively, the work you do in college will give you an advantage. By the time students arrive in college, many are already thinking of a career. Once in college, therefore, it’s tempting to focus primarily on career-relevant skills. I would also advise students to remember, however, that college offers the opportunity to expand one’s intellectual horizons. Take an art history course, a physics course, an anthropology course…. College gives you the opportunity to make yourself a more well-rounded person.
Paul Kowert: Two sets of skills are (and will remain) of great importance in political science and international relations. The first is policy analysis—the ability to assess policies at different levels of government, to understand how they came into being, who they serve, and how they might (or might not) be changed. Political science classes will greatly improve your ability to answer such questions. Second, linguistic skills are crucial—not only the ability to think and communicate clearly, but also (ideally) the ability to do so in multiple languages. For some careers, it’s also an advantage to have a working knowledge of statistical analysis, but there are also many careers in political science and international relations that don’t require a mathematical background.
Dr. Mikel Norris: Several. First, data analytics is always an important skill for new graduates to have. We live in a data-driven world. Political Science (as a major) is a data-driven discipline. We try to train our political science majors in data analytics not just because we analyze data in our research, but also because data analytics is a vital skill for people in today’s workforce. A new graduate who can proudly state on a resume that they can analyze data and are familiar with how to use programs and software to analyze data (R, Python, Stata, SPSS ArcGIS, etc.) immediately improve their chances of getting a job over someone who does not have those skills. Second, I believe all students, regardless of discipline, need to quickly become as fluent as they can be in AI and AI-based technologies. I tell my students all the time that “AI is to you today what the internet was to me and my generational cohort in college in the 1990s.” Back then we recognized the incredible potential (but maybe not the pitfalls) of the internet. Those who got on that bandwagon early are doing very well for themselves today. AI is the same thing. In the end, millions of people will discover the many ways AI can change the world for better or worse. Those who get in the game early are the ones who will most likely be rewarded the most and, because of their knowledge, will guide its development over the next 30 years, let alone 3-5 years. Oh yeah, they will also guarantee job security for themselves for the foreseeable future! Finally, some underappreciated skills political science majors have that are and will always be important are managerial, leadership, and organizational skills. These skills will always be important as long as people come together in any form to achieve a common objective. People don’t just develop these skills in business schools. The study of political science is the study of human interaction. Understanding how people interact and the consequences that arise from those interactions will always be an important skill to have as long as people work together.
Dr. Mikel Norris: My answer to this question is related to my answer to question #1. You maximize your salary potential by becoming valuable in your organization. You can’t become valuable unless you’re willing to learn, develop skills relevant to your job, and put yourself out there on projects and other tasks so you can develop those skills. Again, most new graduates are generalists. Generality is important, and all of us need to retain it regardless of where our careers take us. But graduates need to ask themselves: What can I do where I work so that I become invaluable to my organization? Once they can answer that question, they need to pursue the answer with all their strength. This is why I hate it when people say that graduates should “follow their passion” to get their job. This is stupid. Very few people end up in jobs they’re passionate about after college. Rather, find a place where you can become valuable. Once you find out where and what that its, pursue it passionately. This is how you find a home – and a bigger salary – in your job.
Dr. Mikel Norris: Always be ready to learn, and always be ready to help or volunteer for a project. College students in all majors develop particular skills while in college, but typically they are generalists when they enter the job market, and rarely have expertise or specific qualifications. New graduates beginning their careers need to start work with a mindset that, while they don’t know everything there is to know about their new job, they are completely capable and willing to learn and become an expert on what they need to know. College trains all graduates to have this mindset – regardless of their major. All students begin a class with minimal to no understanding of the subject matter and emerge at the end of a class with a great deal more knowledge and understanding than they had before. If a self-aware graduate enters their work life with this mindset, they will quickly realize that they have done this before many times over the previous four years. This new experience (work) is just the same thing but in a different forum. I also think volunteering for projects is really a great way to develop knowledge and expertise in your work, and to show just how willing they are to learn and develop new skills. It also gives graduates a chance to stand out and show what they are capable of – that is, if they complete their task successfully! For example, one year after I graduated I was working for a mutual fund company that was chosen to operate Indiana’s 529 college investment plan. I volunteered to be on the start-up team so that I could learn about the plans, and also to more fully understand what it would take to run the plan. Our startup was successful, and for the next four years that I worked for the mutual fund, I was considered a go-to person in my department for questions about the plan. I believe these are the types of invaluable experiences new graduates need to have in order to be successful in their early careers.
Dr. Gregory Leslie: Students have gone on to join political campaigns, work with congress members, or enter consulting roles.
Jacob Shively Ph.D.: Even with a strong reputation for flexible thinking and analytical rigor, poli sci and international relations grads with a particular skill will stand apart in the current environment. Competence with data, statistics or economics; knowledge of basic cybersecurity skills; proficiency in a high-demand language have all helped my students get in the door with their preferred career tracks.
Dr. Grace Reinke: Negotiations! Remember to leverage things like writing, analysis, research experience, and any knowledge of methodology software (e.g. R, Stata, ArcGIS, Atlas.TI) you may have when applying for jobs. You should point to all those skills and experiences when discussing compensation with any employer.
Phoebe Moon Ph.D.: I believe there will be mainly three types of skills that will become even more important in the future: emotional intelligence, soft skills, and critical thinking skills. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that we need to be flexible in order to be resilient. We also learned that we could work in various forms ranging from a full-blown home office connected with people around the world via Wi-Fi to a traditional 9 to 5 office model. The world is becoming more and more complex and diverse in all avenues. In such situation, what is crucial at the end of the day is not necessarily how fast you are at accounting, how many legal codes you can recite, or how many books in political science you can name. You can (and probably will end up doing so) learn a lot of work-related skills as you work through trial and error. Instead, students will be required to be a good communicator (both verbal and written) and a person with emotional intelligence. Employers want someone who is analytic and critical without being aggressive or combative. According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ survey in 2021, 93% of the participating employers answered that “ability to work effectively in teams” is important and 95% of them agreed that “critical thinking skills” is important.