SOC 19-3094 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Political Scientists — Washington
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Median pay for this occupation in Washington, DC comes to $156,730 a year, ahead of the national median of $142,080 by 10.3%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -3.1%
- Openings per year
- 500
- Typical entry-level education
- Master's 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
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
Median pay for this occupation in Washington, DC comes to $156,730 a year, ahead of the national median of $142,080 by 10.3%. Pay ranges from under $118,290 at the tenth percentile to more than $195,190 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $128,610 to $185,220.
Employment stands at 3,700, or 1.2 jobs per thousand held locally. Of the 707 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 53rd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $118,290 | −16.7% |
| 25th | $128,610 | −9.5% |
| Median (50th) | $156,730 | +10.3% |
| 75th | $185,220 | +30.4% |
| 90th | $195,190 | +37.4% |
| Mean | $156,310 | +10.0% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Washington run 8.9% above the national average, so the median of $156,730 buys what $143,921 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 1.3% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$156,730as reported by BLSLocal price level
108.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$143,921US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $156,730 a year, 10.3% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $118,290 to $195,190 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 3,700 jobs in this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Political Scientists in Washington, DC?
The median annual wage is $156,730, or $75.35 per hour, 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 $142,080, so pay in Washington, DC is 10.3% 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 Washington, DC earns more than $195,190 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $118,290 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.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 3,700 jobs in this occupation in Washington, DC. 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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