Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
Median $99,650
Occupation · SOC 25-1065
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary: pay and where the jobs are
What political science teachers, postsecondary earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$98,070 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $108,100
- Hourly wages
- BLS publishes annual wages only
- Employment
- 16,970
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 25-1065.
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See where your pay falls among political science teachers, postsecondary nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Use these numbers
How much do political science teachers, postsecondary make?
The median annual wage for political science teachers, postsecondary was $98,070 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $56,450 and the highest-paid 10% more than $174,660. About 16,970 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Massachusetts ($128,150), California ($124,890) and New Hampshire ($124,110). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in New Hampshire.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for political science teachers, postsecondary looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $56,450 | — | $4,704 | $3,961 |
| 25th percentile | $73,260 | — | $6,105 | $5,031 |
| Median | $98,070 | — | $8,173 | $6,485 |
| 75th percentile | $129,130 | — | $10,761 | $8,294 |
| 90th percentile | $174,660 | — | $14,555 | $10,887 |
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary: pay by state
45 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$92,253 take-home in national prices
2
$87,067 take-home in national prices
3
$85,315 take-home in national prices
Where a median political science teachers, postsecondary paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 920 | $128,150 | $78,380 | $219,420 | $92,080 | $87,067 |
| California | 1,060 | $124,890 | $67,510 | $212,210 | $87,635 | $79,150 |
| New Hampshire | 90 | $124,110 | $66,040 | $310,170 | $96,095 | $92,253 |
| Montana | Not published | $109,050 | $58,930 | $189,060 | $80,746 | $85,315 |
| Vermont | 80 | $107,490 | $76,060 | $169,790 | $79,859 | $81,524 |
| Michigan | 380 | $107,060 | $61,020 | $225,510 | $79,847 | $82,987 |
| Maryland | 370 | $105,630 | $66,810 | $219,530 | $78,412 | $74,707 |
| New York | 1,460 | $104,050 | $64,100 | $211,420 | $76,487 | $70,873 |
| District of Columbia | 1,120 | $102,310 | $63,270 | $167,860 | $75,077 | $68,314 |
| Virginia | 830 | $101,430 | $59,600 | $176,660 | $75,168 | $74,347 |
| Rhode Island | 170 | $101,320 | $62,640 | $156,820 | $75,798 | $74,108 |
| Washington | 450 | $101,140 | $55,190 | $133,930 | $78,579 | $73,429 |
| Illinois | 460 | $100,700 | $60,220 | $135,810 | $74,833 | $74,864 |
| New Jersey | 650 | $100,260 | $32,220 | $171,420 | $74,555 | $68,521 |
| Connecticut | 320 | $100,230 | $62,570 | $227,470 | $74,077 | $71,496 |
| Arizona | 190 | $99,910 | $60,060 | $130,530 | $77,013 | $76,495 |
| Pennsylvania | 660 | $97,230 | $61,350 | $152,080 | $74,178 | $76,024 |
| Minnesota | 250 | $97,170 | $73,670 | $168,550 | $71,677 | $72,680 |
| Maine | 60 | $96,760 | $65,870 | $177,690 | $71,520 | $73,694 |
| Missouri | 280 | $94,500 | $52,670 | $214,900 | $71,807 | $79,067 |
| Nevada | 70 | $93,300 | $72,400 | $144,260 | $74,467 | $74,482 |
| Louisiana | 70 | $88,090 | $49,990 | $147,350 | $68,545 | $77,709 |
| Texas | 1,890 | $86,950 | $49,010 | $168,900 | $69,999 | $72,122 |
| Nebraska | 50 | $86,380 | $58,490 | $125,370 | $66,548 | $73,857 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $84,750 | $47,500 | $126,140 | $68,452 | $73,849 |
| Indiana | 630 | $83,770 | $52,290 | $165,540 | $65,320 | $69,989 |
| Oregon | 540 | $83,580 | $72,120 | $133,350 | $61,416 | $59,419 |
| Wisconsin | 290 | $83,190 | $62,310 | $187,820 | $63,924 | $67,936 |
| Tennessee | 250 | $81,330 | $60,040 | $151,760 | $66,046 | $71,890 |
| New Mexico | 40 | $80,640 | $60,120 | $127,840 | $62,936 | $68,251 |
| Utah | 70 | $80,610 | $46,010 | $129,810 | $62,107 | $62,820 |
| Iowa | 100 | $80,160 | $48,470 | $167,090 | $62,828 | $71,589 |
| Ohio | 460 | $80,090 | $46,910 | $126,940 | $63,407 | $68,346 |
| Georgia | 470 | $79,870 | $48,710 | $152,460 | $61,782 | $64,160 |
| Kansas | 80 | $78,800 | $54,120 | $140,380 | $60,668 | $67,358 |
| North Carolina | 440 | $78,760 | $47,240 | $144,630 | $61,604 | $65,310 |
| Kentucky | 140 | $78,670 | $38,220 | $176,620 | $61,538 | $68,256 |
| South Carolina | 210 | $78,650 | $41,130 | $129,350 | $61,261 | $65,346 |
| Alabama | 180 | $77,860 | $51,650 | $139,270 | $60,366 | $67,963 |
| Florida | 270 | $77,860 | $52,460 | $163,370 | $63,605 | $61,505 |
| West Virginia | 70 | $77,420 | $43,370 | $125,170 | $60,638 | $67,754 |
| South Dakota | 30 | $72,580 | $59,740 | $101,620 | $59,890 | $67,607 |
| Oklahoma | 90 | $63,400 | $30,330 | $127,990 | $50,814 | $57,847 |
| Mississippi | 90 | $59,270 | $44,700 | $90,100 | $48,165 | $55,392 |
| Arkansas | 80 | $58,350 | $56,420 | $79,000 | $47,393 | $54,514 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 25-1065. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.