SOC 25-1065 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary — Riverside
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA · 6 metro areas compared
In Riverside, CA the median wage for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary reaches $150,940 a year.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +2.0%
- Openings per year
- 1,600
- Typical entry-level education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Riverside, CA the median wage for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary reaches $150,940 a year. That is 53.9% more than the national median of $98,070. Pay ranges from under $83,370 at the tenth percentile to more than $250,700 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $112,220 to $209,350.
Employment stands at 70, or 0.0 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Sacramento records the highest median at $131,440. Of the 671 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 38th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $83,370 | −15.0% |
| 25th | $112,220 | +14.4% |
| Median (50th) | $150,940 | +53.9% |
| 75th | $209,350 | +113.5% |
| 90th | $250,700 | +155.6% |
| Mean | $161,260 | +64.4% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | $131,440 | 70 | |
| 2 | Fresno | $128,820 | 30 | |
| 3 | San Francisco | $128,050 | 60 | |
| 4 | Los Angeles | $119,590 | 420 | |
| 5 | San Jose | $118,950 | 120 | |
| 6 | San Diego | $105,090 | 130 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Riverside run 6.4% above the national average, so the median of $150,940 buys what $141,861 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 44.7% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$150,940as reported by BLSLocal price level
106.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$141,861US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $150,940 a year, 53.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $83,370 to $250,700 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 70 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Sacramento, at $131,440.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary in Riverside, CA?
The median annual wage is $150,940, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $98,070, so pay in Riverside, CA is 53.9% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Riverside, CA earns more than $250,700 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $83,370 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Sacramento, at $131,440 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 70 jobs in this occupation in Riverside, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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