11 Epic Jobs for Political Science Majors - Roostervane (2023)

Whether you’re a policy wonk or you love the game of politics, if you’re a political science major you know the crap out of government. But what can you do with a political science degree?

This post will give you a list of 11 epic jobs for political science majors, and a few of them I’ve held myself 🙂 These careers for political science majors range from government to freelance, from detail oriented to creative–so there’s something for everyone.

So don’t worry. That political science major put you in good stead to earn some bank, travel the world, or step into the halls of power if you want to. Let’s show you how.

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What can you do with a political science degree?

Here are 11 of the top jobs for political science majors to inspire you for how use that polisci degree.

1. Political Staffer

One of the most obvious jobs for political science majors, assuming you still want politics at the other end of it, is going to be a political staffer. Political staffers usually don’t make a ton of money, at least at the bottom end, but a stint on the hill is the foundation of jobs in lobbying or political campaigns, and as you move up you will make a lot of money.

Starting out at the bottom as a staffer will pave the way for a very good opportunities later, and let you establish your network are people in politics, which will serve you for a lifetime.

Since a lot of staffers work for peanuts, it’s not a huge surprise the salaries can be low– a national average of $36k/yearly in the US. But a job on the hill can set you up for bigger things, and get your feet wet in the game of politics or in other things on this list–like lobbyist or policy analysts.

2. Policy Analyst

If you enjoy political science, but hate the Intrigue of politics you might prefer to be a policy analyst.

Working for the government or a related organization as a policy analyst usually pays pretty well. And if you choose to join the bureaucracy instead of the political class, you will enjoy work stability, one of those cushy government jobs, and probably a great pension.

When I worked as a policy analyst, I loved the ability to work on big, real world problems, and make suggestions for government program design.

A lot of Policy Analyst roles are with the government, so you can apply for government roles on the federal job banks in the United States or Canada. Student programs can also be a great way to gain exposure and experience, such as the Pathways program in the U.S. or the Federal Student Work Experience Program in Canada.

Policy analysts make an average of $59,000, while senior policy analysts make $79,000.

3. Market Research Analyst

Market research analysts is a career that the U.S. Bureau of labor statistics estimateswill grow 18% in the next 10 years. That’s a huge jump!

So,what do market research analysts do? Well, they help companies figure out what the market is for theirproduct orservice.This could include looking at big, economic trends and consumerbuying habits. But it could also involve directly collecting informationfrom customersthrough qualitative and quantitative methods. You might use stats skillsto evaluate consumer data,oryou might be designing surveys or interviewing potential customers.

Either way, you’ll probably work on a team developing new products to figure out the right way to bring them to the world!

Market researchers make an average of $63,344 yearly.

4. Public Opinion Researcher

Both companies and political campaigns hire public opinion researchers.

They do research into how their clients or products there in the marketplace. In the political realm, this is public opinion polling, where big companies like Pew do research into who people are, what makes them work, and who people are going to vote for.

On the corporate side, it means doing similar research into a client’s product or service, or even the public relations image.

Public opinion researchers make an average of $44,373/yearly. But be warned, a lot of pollsters have different job titles, like researcher, research assistant/associate, or consultant. Your best bet is to go look at the major public opinion firms and see what they’re hiring for.

5. Digital Marketing Specialist

While it might not be one of the obvious jobs for political science majors, political scientists learned about communication and strategy, and that’s one of the reasons they make good digital marketing specialists.

Digital marketing specialists use content, advertising, and SEO, from to get a client’s product or service in front of people. If you love politics, political campaigns hire them to. But just about everybody needs digital marketing, and tech companies pay big bucks for people who can do it well.

Digital marketing specialists make $52,778 yearly.

You can take digital marketing courses on Skillshare to beef up your skills.

6. Lobbyist

I want you to imagine that big oil tycoon, lobbying the crooked senator to let them increase fracking.

Now I want to tell you something that might blow your mind.

There are lobbyists who are petitioning the government to increase foreign aid, to create spots for immigrants, or to help small businesses thrive. Just about any subject you can think of has lobbyists working on it, often on both sides, making this a high-paying and lucrative career for people who love to build relationships and use influence.

And your love of the political system, which your political science degree gave you, is probably the first perfect foundation for a career as a lobbyist (btw, it’s also sometimes called “government relations”).

Low level lobbyists do okay- $67,784 yearly on average. The higher you go, you start to make bank. Apparently, a government affairs director makes an average of $105,718 yearly, but I know for a fact that lot of good lobbyists make WELL above this.

7. Public Relations Specialist

Big companies use public relations specialists to help them improve their brand.

Since a brand is merely someone’s perception of you, public relations focuses on impacting people’s perceptions. This is usually done through a combination of earned or bought media, getting stories in front of people, and helping to change people’s perceptions of a company.

The show Workin’ Moms is a great (and hilarious) example of public relations at work. Your political science degree probably gave you communication and critical thinking skills, and this is exactly what it takes to be good at public relations.

PR specialists make an average of $55,714 yearly.

8. Product Manager

One of the hottest jobs in tech is a product manager.

They create, conceptualize, research, and test products better company wants to bring to the marketplace.

Apparently product managers at big companies like Amazon can make up to $400k a year. Your political science degree gave you critical thinking skills, and if you are a little bit creative and task-oriented, you might love this field.

Average salary of… ready? $95,704 yearly. Dang.

Want to learn the basics? Check out the course- Fundamentals of Product Management

9. Blogger

Well hey there. I’ve had a few of the jobs further up this list, but this one is me (waves).

Now I know what you’re thinking- who the F$%* still blogs? I never thought I’d leave a 6-figure job as a policy analyst for this, but there you go. life is strange. If you’re a political science grad who can write and research, you might love blogging.

Yes, People Still Blog

And it takes time and some strategy, but you can make a living at this. And if not, you can always jump into content writing for a company.

Treat blogging like it’s an actual second job, and not a hobby you do “when you feel like it.”

Also, don’t just focus on writing. Start growing your knowledge in SEO, digital marketing, and business.

How to Start a Blog People Can’t Stop Reading – A Step by Step Guide

How to Make Money Blogging

I also do a free email course to get you started, which you can find here…

It’s almost impossible to tell you what bloggers make. Many bloggers make nothing or even lose money. Some of the best make tens of thousands of dollars a month. You can read Biron Clark’s story about how he brought his blog to $25,000/month here.

I’m a proud partner for Bluehost, which is what I used to start Roostervane. If you want to start a blog, I totally recommend them!

Click here to check your domain name and get started for $2.95/mo!

10. Project Manager

Although it’s a pretty open-ended job title, that applies to everything from building bridges to running UN food programs, some political science graduates make great project managers.

The ability to communicate and think strategically are valuable here. Project-based work also gives you constant change of scenery, so for people who get bored easy, this can be the right gig.

There are different types of projects, but you might be looking for research–I have a post on places you can find research work here.

11. Foreign Service Officer

AKA Diplomat. Foreign service officers represent their countries abroad, usually stationed at a mission for periods of time. When I sat down and had a coffee with a FSO, he explained to me that they normally work in three different streams: security, political diplomacy, and trade.

The average salary for a diplomat is about $85,000 yearly, and there are usually other bonuses like travel and housing allowances. If you want to get paid to travel the world, this is a great way to do it!

Conclusion

These 11 political science careers have something for everyone! And this is not an exhaustive list of jobs for political science majors. Be creative about how you apply your degree–knowing that you have a fantastic broad skill base that you can use to jump into a bunch of different careers. If you need more ideas, there are a few more suggestions of careers in political science over at the Balance Careers!

Your polisci degree set you up for success, so get out there and start exploring! I’m excited to see where it takes you.

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