Best Political Science Degree Jobs With Salaries

The skills that you gain while earning a degree in political science will serve you well in a wide variety of jobs and career paths. Political science majors study how laws are made, how to create and implement public policy, and the comparative governments of countries around the world. 

In addition to a job in politics and policy analysis, however, political science majors are prepared for jobs that require writing and presentation skills, critical thinking, research and more. In this article, you can see some of the opportunities that you can pursue as a political science graduate.

Political science degree jobs with salaries

Here are some jobs you can be eligible for if you earn a political science degree:

Teacher

National Average Salary: $19.30 per hour

Primary Duties: Political science majors can find jobs teaching in secondary schools. At the middle or high school level, political science majors could teach courses in government, social studies, history, public policy, economics and more. Public schools typically require teachers to acquire a certification in teaching along with a bachelor’s degree. Many teachers also obtain a graduate degree in teaching.

 Journalist

National Average Salary: $34.81 per hour

Primary Duties: Political science graduates who are interested in media, including newspapers, television, radio or film, might consider a career in journalism. Journalists who report on domestic or international policy must be well-versed in political science. Journalists can also obtain jobs as editors or news directors.

Social media manager

National Average Salary: $47,719 per year

Primary Duties: Social media managers are tasked with planning, implementing and tracking their company’s social media strategy. Their goals can include improving the company’s marketing efforts, increasing sales and increasing customers’ awareness of the brand. Social media managers can also work on political campaigns, helping candidates to engage with voters and constituents, and share their views on the issues of the day. Social media managers need to have a comprehensive understanding of the social media landscape and how to use different platforms to shape viewers’ perceptions.

Paralegal

National Average Salary: $50,308 per year

Primary Duties: Paralegals assist attorneys in their work, including in preparing for hearings and trials, conducting legal research and gathering relevant evidence and information, organizing files, drafting documents, maintaining a legal library and more. Paralegals can work in a variety of legal fields, including corporate legal departments, family law offices and more. A political science major’s background in understanding the law, as well as careful reading and writing skills, are very helpful for paralegals.

Campaign manager

National Average Salary: $53,503 per year

Primary Duties: Campaign managers lead a political candidate’s staff in formulating and executing a political campaign. Depending on the level of the campaign, campaign managers can manage a small staff or a team of several thousand people. In addition to this management task, they may be responsible for writing press releases, drafting language for speeches, managing a candidate’s social media profile, organizing events, recruiting and training campaign volunteers and fundraising. Campaign managers benefit from knowledge of political issues and voter reactions to policy platforms, as well as having excellent writing and speaking skills.

Public relations manager

National Average Salary: $53,725 per year

Primary Duties: Public relations managers work to influence public opinion about their clients by placing stories in the media. Public relations managers may, therefore, organize press conferences, write press releases and meet with reporters and members of the media. They, therefore, need to understand the mechanics of working with the media in a persuasive way and how to research and write about current events.

Intelligence analyst

National Average Salary: $57,705 per year

Primary Duties: Intelligence analysts work for federal intelligence agencies like the National Security Agency or the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), or for contractors that work with such federal agencies. They are responsible for studying particular groups or trends that could pose a national security threat, analyzing patterns and presenting their findings to agency leadership as well as elected officials. Intelligence analysts make use of a political science major’s knowledge of the politics of other countries and the dynamics of political groups. Knowledge of foreign languages and an ability to clearly and succinctly present large amounts of information in writing and via spoken presentation are all beneficial for this role.

Policy analyst

National Average Salary: $70,890 per year

Primary Duties: Policy analysts study and write about public policy. Policy analysts use their research and expertise in the legislative and political process to advance particular policy initiatives or outcomes. They must be adept at understanding how policies are developed and implemented as well as their relative effectiveness. Additionally, policy analysts need to have strong research, writing and critical thinking skills, and they must be able to acquire evidence and construct sound arguments about policy.

Associate professor of political science

National Average Salary: $75,122 per year

Primary Duties: Associate professors of political science or government are typically professors at colleges or universities who are on the tenure track but have not yet formally received tenure. They are responsible for teaching courses to college students, as well as conducting and publishing research. Associate professors may also do additional service in their departments, such as advising students, serving on department committees and devising curricula. Associate professors of political science are required to hold a doctorate in political science.

Attorney

National Average Salary: $89,209 per year

Primary Duties: Attorneys may work for corporations, law firms, lobbying firms, interest groups or political figures, among other individuals and organizations. Attorneys in these areas must use legal research skills and knowledge to litigate cases, advise individuals or corporations on legal matters and more. Political science majors may be particularly interested in working for elected officials to draft and edit the language of legislation and to assess legal precedents for pending legislation, or work for government agencies where knowledge of the law is important to the agency’s work.