Headline risk
63%
Very High RiskPolitical scientists
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics, such as public opinion, political decisionmaking, and ideology. May analyze the structure and operation of governments, as well as various political entities. May conduct public opinion surveys, analyze election results, or analyze public documents.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 33% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 139,380
Employment 2024
6.5K
Projected Change (2024–34)
-3.1%
Openings (2024–34)
0.5K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of political scientists is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Teach political science. AI use: 100%
- 2. Develop and test theories, using information from interviews, newspapers, periodicals, case law, historical papers, polls, or statistical sources. AI use: 100%
- 3. Maintain current knowledge of government policy decisions. AI use: 0%
- 4. Disseminate research results through academic publications, written reports, or public presentations. AI use: 0%
- 5. Advise political science students. AI use: 0%
- 6. Collect, analyze, and interpret data, such as election results and public opinion surveys, reporting on findings, recommendations, and conclusions. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 41.2 · 102K employed
Under 25: 1% · 25–54: 77% · 55+: 23%
Related
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
title_match · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Political scientists study the origin, development, and operation of political systems.
Most political scientists work full time in an office setting. They sometimes work additional hours.
To enter the occupation, political scientists typically need a master’s degree in political science, public administration, or a related field. However, some employers consider candidates who have a bachelor’s degree; others may prefer a Ph.D.
The median annual wage for political scientists was $139,380 in May 2024.
Employment of political scientists is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.