Occupation overview

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for political science teachers, postsecondary is $98,070, or — per hour. About 16,970 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $128,150 in Massachusetts to $58,350 in Arkansas.

Median annual

$98,070

Median hourly

—

Entry level (P10)

$56,450

Top 10% (P90)

$174,660

Employment

16,970

States covered

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile

$56,450

$73,260

$98,070

$129,130

$56,450$98,070$174,660

Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $98,070.

Salary by state

All 45 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#	State	Median annual	Median hourly	Employment	Location quotient
1	Massachusetts	$128,150	—	920	2.31
2	California	$124,890	—	1,060	0.53
3	New Hampshire	$124,110	—	90	1.18
4	Montana	$109,050	—	—	—
5	Vermont	$107,490	—	80	2.36
6	Michigan	$107,060	—	380	0.79
7	Maryland	$105,630	—	370	1.23
8	New York	$104,050	—	1,460	1.38
9	District of Columbia	$102,310	—	1,120	14.67
10	Virginia	$101,430	—	830	1.86
11	Rhode Island	$101,320	—	170	3.04
12	Washington	$101,140	—	450	1.16
13	Illinois	$100,700	—	460	0.69
14	New Jersey	$100,260	—	650	1.39
15	Connecticut	$100,230	—	320	1.70
16	Arizona	$99,910	—	190	0.53
17	Pennsylvania	$97,230	—	660	0.99
18	Minnesota	$97,170	—	250	0.76
19	Maine	$96,760	—	60	0.89
20	Missouri	$94,500	—	280	0.87
21	Nevada	$93,300	—	70	0.42
22	Louisiana	$88,090	—	70	0.31
23	Texas	$86,950	—	1,890	1.23
24	Nebraska	$86,380	—	50	0.49
25	Wyoming	$84,750	—	40	1.23
26	Indiana	$83,770	—	630	1.79
27	Oregon	$83,580	—	540	2.53
28	Wisconsin	$83,190	—	290	0.91
29	Tennessee	$81,330	—	250	0.69
30	New Mexico	$80,640	—	40	0.41
31	Utah	$80,610	—	70	0.39
32	Iowa	$80,160	—	100	0.61
33	Ohio	$80,090	—	460	0.76
34	Georgia	$79,870	—	470	0.87
35	Kansas	$78,800	—	80	0.54
36	North Carolina	$78,760	—	440	0.82
37	Kentucky	$78,670	—	140	0.64
38	South Carolina	$78,650	—	210	0.85
39	Florida	$77,860	—	270	0.25
40	Alabama	$77,860	—	180	0.79
41	West Virginia	$77,420	—	70	0.88
42	South Dakota	$72,580	—	30	0.67
43	Oklahoma	$63,400	—	90	0.47
44	Mississippi	$59,270	—	90	0.71
45	Arkansas	$58,350	—	80	0.57

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970 Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370 Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670 Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140

Frequently asked questions

How much do political science teachers, postsecondary make?

The median annual wage for political science teachers, postsecondary in the United States is $98,070, or — per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $56,450, and the top 10% earn $174,660.

How many political science teachers, postsecondary are employed in the U.S.?

About 16,970 people work as political science teachers, postsecondary nationwide.

Which state pays political science teachers, postsecondary the most?

Massachusetts pays the most at a median of $128,150, followed by California ($124,890) and New Hampshire ($124,110).

Which state pays political science teachers, postsecondary the least?

Arkansas has the lowest median at $58,350.

Where are political science teachers, postsecondary jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is District of Columbia at 14.67×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes