Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of postsecondary political science teachers to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035 (about 500 more jobs), with about 1,500 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $98,070 a year ranks 148th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +2.5%
- Openings a year
- 1,500
- Median pay
- $98,070
- Pay rank
- 148th of 825
Is employment of postsecondary political science teachers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of postsecondary political science teachers to rise 2.5% (about 500 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +1.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 64 educational instruction and library occupations with a projection. That change ranks 441st of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 21,500 |
| Employment, 2035 | 22,000 |
| Projected change | +2.5% |
| Openings a year | 1,500 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 21,500 jobs here differ from the 16,970 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 1,500 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 594th most of 830 occupations. About 97% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 50 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for postsecondary political science teachers rank?
The median of $98,070 a year ranks 148th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: doctoral or professional degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.2% | 1,000 | $84,290 |
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.6% | 1,800 | $128,500 |
| History Teachers, Postsecondary | 0% | 1,500 | $83,820 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.4% | 1,000 | $123,920 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.7% | 1,000 | $85,020 |
| Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.0% | 1,800 | $80,260 |
| Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.1% | 2,400 | $78,580 |
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary | +1.5% | 1,100 | $76,590 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.