How much does a politics professor make?
a year · about $47 an hour
A typical politics professor in the United States makes $98,070 a year, about $47 an hour, about 1.9× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
A politics professor may lead a lecture or debate on elections, democracy, or world affairs, then meet students and grade their papers. Between classes, they may read studies, analyze data, write research, or meet colleagues.
Did you know? A political science professor studied nearly 16 million traffic stops in North Carolina to look for patterns in searches and arrests.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $56,450 and $174,660How do you become one?
In the US, earn a bachelor's degree and usually a PhD in political science; doctoral students take advanced courses, pass exams, and defend original research. Many gain classroom practice as graduate teaching assistants, then apply for college jobs.
School needed: Graduate degree or long training
Good for people who like helping and teaching and figuring things out
Why does pay differ?
In the US, pay can differ with experience and job rank, the kind of college, and location. University and professional-school teachers tend to earn more than community-college teachers, and full-time versus part-time work can also affect total pay.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Massachusetts ($128,150), lowest in Oregon ($83,580).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $56,450 | $98,070 | $174,660 | about 17,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $128,150 | about 920 |
| California | $124,890 | about 1,000 |
| New York | $104,050 | about 1,000 |
| District of Columbia | $102,310 | about 1,000 |
| Virginia | $101,430 | about 830 |
Official definition: Teach courses in political science, international affairs, and international relations. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1065.00
- apsanet.org/careers/careers-for-political-scientists/after-completing-a-bachelor
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/print/wage-differences.htm
- www.sog.unc.edu/blogs/nc-criminal-law/political-science-professor-civil-rights-l
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY