Every occupation the official NCES/BLS crosswalk connects to political science programs, with BLS pay, the education each job usually needs, what the work involves, and where to go next.
Political Science · CIP 45.10 series · 5 codes · 6 careers · Check one exact major, e.g. 45.1001 Political Science and Government, General, in the major to career finder
The official NCES/BLS crosswalk maps political science programs to 6 occupations that such programs typically prepare people for, including Political Scientist, Social Science Research Assistant and High School Teacher. BLS median pay across them runs from $61,990 (Social Science Research Assistant) to $142,080 (Political Scientist) in May 2025. The crosswalk describes preparation, not what graduates actually go on to do.
Data Program → related occupations: these are jobs political science programs typically prepare people for (NCES/BLS crosswalk). Not a guaranteed outcome, and not a record of what graduates do.
Data Filter by the education the job usually needs or its preparation level; sort by pay or by number employed.
| Occupation | Most common education | Job Zone | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High School Teacher | $72,040 | 1,065,210 | Bachelor's Degree | 4 |
| Social Science Research Assistant | $61,990 | 30,640 | Bachelor's Degree | 4 |
| Economist | $124,720 | 17,790 | Master's Degree | 5 |
| Political Science Teachers, PostsecondaryPostsecondary teaching | $98,070 | 16,970 | Doctoral Degree | 5 |
| Economics Teachers, PostsecondaryPostsecondary teaching | $123,920 | 11,560 | Doctoral Degree | 5 |
| Political Scientist | $142,080 | 5,540 | Doctoral Degree | 5 |
No occupations match these filters.
Data The education column shows a typical entry level only where O*NET data supports one answer. Check the typical education for Political Scientist, one of the political science jobs above.
Data BLS national median annual wage, May 2025. These are pay levels of the occupations, not earnings of graduates.
Data The largest related occupations by employment (postsecondary teaching shown in the explorer).
Maintain current knowledge of government policy decisions.
Develop and test theories, using information from interviews, newspapers, periodicals, case law, historical papers, polls, or statistical sources.
Reading Comprehension · Active Listening · Speaking
Mapped from CIP 45.1001, 45.1002Design and create special programs for tasks such as statistical analysis and data entry and cleaning.
Provide assistance with the preparation of project-related reports, manuscripts, and presentations.
Reading Comprehension · Active Listening · Writing
Mapped from CIP 45.1001, 45.1004Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
Instructing · Reading Comprehension · Active Listening
Mapped from CIP 45.1001, 45.1002Study economic and statistical data in area of specialization, such as finance, labor, or agriculture.
Compile, analyze, and report data to explain economic phenomena and forecast market trends, applying mathematical models and statistical techniques.
Reading Comprehension · Mathematics · Critical Thinking
Mapped from CIP 45.1004Data Related occupations grouped by government career field, with their pay range.
Data Other programs whose crosswalk occupations overlap with these.
Data A national median for federal-aid graduates of this field: a separate measure from the BLS job pay above.
See earnings by degree level, college spread and federal debt.
The NCES/BLS crosswalk relates instructional programs (CIP 2020) to occupations (SOC 2018) when programs in the CIP category typically prepare individuals directly for jobs in the occupation. This page uses the CIP program series below and shows every non-residual occupation mapped to them that has BLS wages and O*NET data; each occupation lists the CIP codes that map to it.
Searches this page answers include “what can you do with a political science degree”, “political science degree jobs”, “what jobs can you get with a political science degree” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
