Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for political science teachers, postsecondarys across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $108,100 ≈ $52/hr
National median salary $98,070
Total employment 16,970 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +2%
About as fast as average
Annual openings 1,600 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 21,800 → 22,200 (+400)
Typical entry education Doctoral or professional degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New Hampshire$150,490
- Massachusetts$137,010
- California$136,290
- Connecticut$126,730
- Michigan$126,270
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$65,690
- Mississippi$66,770
- Oklahoma$76,060
- South Dakota$76,540
- Wyoming$77,850
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $150,490 | $124,110 | $72 | +39.2% | 90 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $137,010 | $128,150 | $66 | +26.7% | 920 |
| 3 | California | $136,290 | $124,890 | $66 | +26.1% | 1,060 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $126,730 | $100,230 | $61 | +17.2% | 320 |
| 5 | Michigan | $126,270 | $107,060 | $61 | +16.8% | 380 |
| 6 | Maryland | $126,130 | $105,630 | $61 | +16.7% | 370 |
| 7 | New York | $123,780 | $104,050 | $60 | +14.5% | 1,460 |
| 8 | Montana | $121,230 | $109,050 | $58 | +12.1% | — |
| 9 | Vermont | $117,620 | $107,490 | $57 | +8.8% | 80 |
| 10 | Maine | $114,470 | $96,760 | $55 | +5.9% | 60 |
| 11 | Virginia | $113,530 | $101,430 | $55 | +5% | 830 |
| 12 | Missouri | $112,430 | $94,500 | $54 | +4% | 280 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $108,160 | $97,170 | $52 | +0.1% | 250 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $107,260 | $83,190 | $52 | -0.8% | 290 |
| 15 | Iowa | $104,180 | $80,160 | $50 | -3.6% | 100 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $103,490 | $102,310 | $50 | -4.3% | 1,120 |
| 17 | Texas | $102,650 | $86,950 | $49 | -5% | 1,890 |
| 18 | Nevada | $102,630 | $93,300 | $49 | -5.1% | 70 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $102,610 | $97,230 | $49 | -5.1% | 660 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $102,290 | $101,320 | $49 | -5.4% | 170 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $101,590 | $100,260 | $49 | -6% | 650 |
| 22 | Oregon | $100,210 | $83,580 | $48 | -7.3% | 540 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $100,200 | $81,330 | $48 | -7.3% | 250 |
| 24 | Washington | $99,590 | $101,140 | $48 | -7.9% | 450 |
| 25 | Illinois | $99,490 | $100,700 | $48 | -8% | 460 |
| 26 | Indiana | $99,220 | $83,770 | $48 | -8.2% | 630 |
| 27 | Arizona | $97,270 | $99,910 | $47 | -10% | 190 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $94,560 | $78,670 | $45 | -12.5% | 140 |
| 29 | Florida | $94,480 | $77,860 | $45 | -12.6% | 270 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $94,060 | $80,640 | $45 | -13% | 40 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $93,270 | $88,090 | $45 | -13.7% | 70 |
| 32 | Utah | $93,090 | $80,610 | $45 | -13.9% | 70 |
| 33 | Georgia | $92,890 | $79,870 | $45 | -14.1% | 470 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $92,430 | $86,380 | $44 | -14.5% | 50 |
| 35 | Kansas | $91,160 | $78,800 | $44 | -15.7% | 80 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $91,090 | $78,760 | $44 | -15.7% | 440 |
| 37 | Ohio | $88,600 | $80,090 | $43 | -18% | 460 |
| 38 | Alabama | $85,990 | $77,860 | $41 | -20.5% | 180 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $84,540 | $78,650 | $41 | -21.8% | 210 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $82,780 | $77,420 | $40 | -23.4% | 70 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $77,850 | $84,750 | $37 | -28% | 40 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $76,540 | $72,580 | $37 | -29.2% | 30 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $76,060 | $63,400 | $37 | -29.6% | 90 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $66,770 | $59,270 | $32 | -38.2% | 90 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $65,690 | $58,350 | $32 | -39.2% | 80 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 73 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $150,940 | $161,260 | 70 |
| 2 | Ann Arbor, MI | $137,430 | $166,230 | 140 |
| 3 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $131,690 | $147,740 | 670 |
| 4 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $131,440 | $142,960 | 70 |
| 5 | Fresno, CA | $128,820 | $135,430 | 30 |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $128,050 | $144,910 | 60 |
| 7 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $126,240 | $139,720 | 130 |
| 8 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $121,300 | $129,130 | 40 |
| 9 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $119,590 | $133,190 | 420 |
| 10 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $118,950 | $148,830 | 120 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing political science teachers, postsecondarys (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Junior Colleges, Local Government Owned | $101,730 | $107,210 | 1,340 |
| 2 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $100,570 | $108,540 | 2,170 |
| 3 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $100,570 | $108,540 | 2,170 |
| 4 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $100,210 | $110,690 | 830 |
| 5 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $99,460 | $111,550 | 7,040 |
| 6 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $99,420 | $111,840 | 7,080 |
| 7 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $99,420 | $111,840 | 7,080 |
| 8 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $99,210 | $109,150 | 15,150 |
| 9 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, State Government Owned | $98,690 | $106,650 | 7,290 |
| 10 | Educational Services | $98,070 | $108,100 | 16,970 |
| 11 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $98,070 | $108,100 | 16,970 |
| 12 | Sector 61 - Educational Services | $98,070 | $108,100 | 16,970 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do political science teachers, postsecondary make in the U.S.?
The median political science teachers, postsecondary salary in the United States is $98,070 per year (mean $108,100), and about 80% earn between $56,450 and $174,660.
How much do political science teachers, postsecondary make per hour?
Roughly $52 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $108,100 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays political science teachers, postsecondary the most?
New Hampshire has the highest average pay for political science teachers, postsecondary at $150,490 per year (median $124,110).
What is the job outlook for political science teachers, postsecondary?
Employment is projected to change +2% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 1,600 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
computer science teacher salarycomputer science teacher salary in biharhow much do ap computer science teachers makehow much do computer science college professors makehow much do computer science professors makehow much do computer science teachers get paidhow much do computer science teachers makehow much do high school computer science teachers makehow much do political science professors makehow much do political science teachers makepolitical science professors salarypolitical science teacher salary