Pay by state · 45 states
Political Science Teacher, Postsecondary Salary by State (2026)
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary earn the most in Massachusetts at $128,150 a year and the least in Arkansas at $58,350 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $98,070. All 45 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $128,150Massachusetts
- National median
- $98,070BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $58,350Arkansas
- States reporting
- 45of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Political Science Teacher, Postsecondary salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of political science teachers, postsecondary OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAMassachusetts | $128,150 | $99,500 | $164,850 | 920 | $121,174 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $124,890 | $100,380 | $165,810 | 1,060 | $112,798 |
| 3 | NHNew Hampshire | $124,110 | $85,060 | $165,930 | 90 | $119,148 |
| 4 | MTMontana | $109,050 | $83,240 | $157,450 | N/A | $115,220 |
| 5 | VTVermont | $107,490 | $88,310 | $130,650 | 80 | $109,731 |
| 6 | MIMichigan | $107,060 | $82,580 | $137,430 | 380 | $111,269 |
| 7 | MDMaryland | $105,630 | $81,170 | $166,160 | 370 | $100,639 |
| 8 | NYNew York | $104,050 | $77,670 | $139,500 | 1,460 | $96,413 |
| 9 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $102,310 | $80,290 | $127,550 | 1,120 | $93,093 |
| 10 | VAVirginia | $101,430 | $76,320 | $135,130 | 830 | $100,322 |
| 11 | RIRhode Island | $101,320 | $80,620 | $130,870 | 170 | $99,061 |
| 12 | WAWashington | $101,140 | $77,810 | $107,170 | 450 | $94,512 |
| 13 | ILIllinois | $100,700 | $76,770 | $123,980 | 460 | $100,742 |
| 14 | NJNew Jersey | $100,260 | $62,230 | $119,450 | 650 | $92,147 |
| 15 | CTConnecticut | $100,230 | $78,730 | $142,000 | 320 | $96,738 |
| 16 | AZArizona | $99,910 | $79,090 | $107,420 | 190 | $99,238 |
| 17 | PAPennsylvania | $97,230 | $75,590 | $121,780 | 660 | $99,649 |
| 18 | MNMinnesota | $97,170 | $80,560 | $128,990 | 250 | $98,529 |
| 19 | MEMaine | $96,760 | $72,510 | $125,480 | 60 | $99,701 |
| 20 | MOMissouri | $94,500 | $63,790 | $132,040 | 280 | $104,055 |
| 21 | NVNevada | $93,300 | $82,090 | $104,090 | 70 | $93,320 |
| 22 | LALouisiana | $88,090 | $68,810 | $100,410 | 70 | $99,867 |
| 23 | TXTexas | $86,950 | $63,840 | $120,690 | 1,890 | $89,587 |
| 24 | NENebraska | $86,380 | $61,500 | $101,770 | 50 | $95,868 |
| 25 | WYWyoming | $84,750 | $60,060 | $84,750 | 40 | $91,433 |
| 26 | INIndiana | $83,770 | $66,510 | $106,130 | 630 | $89,758 |
| 27 | OROregon | $83,580 | $72,120 | $114,450 | 540 | $80,862 |
| 28 | WIWisconsin | $83,190 | $68,520 | $124,230 | 290 | $88,411 |
| 29 | TNTennessee | $81,330 | $63,420 | $119,070 | 250 | $88,527 |
| 30 | NMNew Mexico | $80,640 | $66,510 | $106,510 | 40 | $87,451 |
| 31 | UTUtah | $80,610 | $61,520 | $122,150 | 70 | $81,536 |
| 32 | IAIowa | $80,160 | $64,100 | $101,690 | 100 | $91,338 |
| 33 | OHOhio | $80,090 | $63,720 | $104,550 | 460 | $86,328 |
| 34 | GAGeorgia | $79,870 | $67,860 | $103,710 | 470 | $82,945 |
| 35 | KSKansas | $78,800 | $56,480 | $112,390 | 80 | $87,489 |
| 36 | NCNorth Carolina | $78,760 | $63,140 | $105,700 | 440 | $83,498 |
| 37 | KYKentucky | $78,670 | $60,220 | $114,300 | 140 | $87,257 |
| 38 | SCSouth Carolina | $78,650 | $58,480 | $101,470 | 210 | $83,894 |
| 39 | ALAlabama | $77,860 | $62,200 | $98,900 | 180 | $87,657 |
| 40 | FLFlorida | $77,860 | $60,790 | $102,030 | 270 | $75,290 |
| 41 | WVWest Virginia | $77,420 | $60,070 | $97,290 | 70 | $86,506 |
| 42 | SDSouth Dakota | $72,580 | $64,830 | $84,400 | 30 | $81,932 |
| 43 | OKOklahoma | $63,400 | $57,910 | $89,810 | 90 | $72,174 |
| 44 | MSMississippi | $59,270 | $58,690 | $77,860 | 90 | $68,163 |
| 45 | ARArkansas | $58,350 | $56,800 | $76,460 | 80 | $67,118 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary, that changes the ranking: Massachusetts leads on raw pay at $128,150, while Massachusetts leads once prices are taken into account at $121,174.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Political Science Teacher, Postsecondary pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary the most?
Massachusetts reports the highest median wage for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary at $128,150 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($124,890) and New Hampshire ($124,110).
Which state pays Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary the least?
Arkansas reports the lowest median for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary at $58,350 a year, $69,800 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Massachusetts first at $121,174 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $128,150. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.