Political Scientists

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.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Speaking
Active Learning
Writing
Critical Thinking
Social Perceptiveness
Complex Problem Solving

Key knowledge

Law and Government
English Language
Education and Training
History and Archeology
Mathematics
Communications and Media
Sociology and Anthropology
Geography

What the work involves

Teach political science.
Disseminate research results through academic publications, written reports, or public presentations.
Identify issues for research and analysis.
Develop and test theories, using information from interviews, newspapers, periodicals, case law, historical papers, polls, or statistical sources.
Maintain current knowledge of government policy decisions.
Collect, analyze, and interpret data, such as election results and public opinion surveys, reporting on findings, recommendations, and conclusions.
Interpret and analyze policies, public issues, legislation, or the operations of governments, businesses, and organizations.
Forecast political, economic, and social trends.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Artistic, Enterprising.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Doctoral Degree (88.5% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (28%)
On-the-job training: None or short demonstration (60%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Political Scientists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Very low	Lower on contact with others than 80% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time”
Dealing with the public	Low	Lower on dealing with the public than 79% of occupations compared	46% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly important”
Teamwork	Very low	Lower on teamwork than 96% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Important”
Freedom to make decisions	Very high	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 96% of occupations compared	85% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom”
Time pressure	Very low	Lower on time pressure than 87% of occupations compared	58% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Conflict situations	Low	Lower on conflict situations than 72% of occupations compared	62% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Moderate	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 52% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Very low	Lower on consequence of error than 89% of occupations compared	46% of surveyed respondents chose “Not serious at all”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: very low
Conflict situations: low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
Consequence of error: very low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions