Political science degrees can lead to diverse and rewarding government, advocacy, and public policy careers. If you still aren’t sure what you want to major in, political science is one of the options.
A political science major creates many career paths that are both interesting, engaging, and trending every day. Therefore, let’s look at what jobs you can get with a political science degree.
11 jobs you can get with a political science degree
Government Jobs
Government affairs director
Hourly wage range: $25 – $75
You can work for a company, organization, or advocacy group to help build relationships with government officials and influence public policy. Your role as a government affairs director involves monitoring legislation and regulations, developing advocacy strategies, and building coalitions to advance the interests of a given organization.
You must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills and knowledge of government processes and regulations.
Political analyst
Hourly wage range: $15 – $50
As a political analyst, your job is to research and analyze political trends, policies, and events. You may also be responsible for forecasting election outcomes, analyzing public opinion, and assessing the impact of policy decisions.
You can work for government agencies, political campaigns, news outlets, or research organizations.
You need the ability to present complex political information to a wide audience. You must also possess excellent research and analytical skills.
Lobbyist
Hourly wage range: $20 – $100
Another job you can get with a political science degree is as a lobbyist. Your work involves advocating for your clients on legislative issues and policies by communicating with lawmakers and other stakeholders. That means influencing government decisions and policies on behalf of a particular interest group or client.
You can represent various interests, including corporations, non-profit organizations, trade associations, and labor unions. You’ll organize grassroots campaigns, develop advocacy strategies, and coordinate with other lobbyists and interest groups.
You need strong negotiation and communication skills and a deep understanding of political processes and legislative procedures.
Non-profit Jobs
Non-profit Manager
Hourly wage range: $18 – $45
A non-profit manager oversees non-profit organizations’ operations, such as fundraising, program management, and advocacy. A non-profit organization is an organization that exists to achieve a social, environmental, or humanitarian goal rather than to generate profit.
Your role as a non-profit manager is to oversee the day-to-day operations of the non-profit, as well as to develop and implement strategies to ensure the organization’s sustainability and success in achieving its mission.
You need essential skills such as excellent communication skills and a good understanding of finance and budgeting.
Other critical skills include leadership, strategic planning, project management, and building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders. Finally, you should have a deep passion for the nonprofit’s mission and a commitment to positively impacting the community the organization serves.
Community advocate
Hourly wage range: $15-$26
Your work as a community advocate is to promote the interests and well-being of a particular community. This could include advocating for policies and laws that benefit the community, raising awareness about important issues, and mobilizing community members to take action toward achieving their goals.
Your role may vary depending on the needs of the community you’re serving. Sometimes, you may work closely with local government officials and community leaders to advocate for change. In contrast, you may focus on grassroots organizing and community outreach in other cases.
You need leadership, empathy, organization, critical thinking, and good communication skills. Becoming a community advocate calls for a deep commitment to serving others and a willingness to work tirelessly toward achieving positive change in the community.
Research analyst
Hourly wage range: $23-$40
You can become a research analyst to do research and analysis in your given field or industry to provide insights and recommendations to clients or stakeholders. You can work in market research firms, consulting firms, government agencies, or non-profit organizations.
Your work will involve collecting and analyzing data, developing reports and presentations, and presenting findings to clients or stakeholders. You may also be responsible for monitoring industry trends and conducting competitive analysis to identify opportunities and threats.
You need strong analytical skills, attention to detail, strong communication, research methods knowledge, flexibility, and adaptability. A political research analyst is also demanding and requires technical expertise, critical thinking, and communication skills.
Campaign manager
Hourly wage range: $15 – $50
You can become a campaign manager with a political science degree. You will oversee political campaigns for your chosen candidates running for office or advocacy campaigns.
Your work will involve developing and implementing strategies to help a candidate, political party, or advocacy group achieve its goals. You’ll oversee the campaign’s day-to-day operations, including fundraising, messaging, voter outreach, and volunteer management.
As a campaign manager, you need various skills to succeed. One of the most critical skills is leadership. You must also have excellent written and verbal communication skills, as you will be responsible for crafting the campaign’s message and communicating it to various audiences. You must have excellent organizational and experience in campaign strategy, fundraising, and advertising.
Education jobs
Professor
Hourly wage range: $20-$80
A political degree can be valuable if you want to become a political science professor. It provides a strong foundation in political and government principles, theories, and practices, making it an ideal background for teaching and researching this field.
You will be responsible for teaching political science courses at the undergraduate and graduate-level. You would also be expected to conduct research in your specialization and contribute to the field through publications, presentations, and other scholarly activities.
You require strong critical thinking and analytical abilities, as well as great written and vocal communication skills, to succeed as a political science professor. Also, you have to be passionate about teaching in general and dedicated to staying up to date with industry trends and advancements.
Journalism jobs
Editor
Hourly wage range: $18-$45
A political degree is helpful if you’re an aspiring editor in several ways. First, it can provide you with a strong foundation of knowledge in politics, government, and public policy, which can be helpful in editing and shaping news stories on these topics. Second, a political degree can help you develop critical thinking and research skills, which are essential for editors who need to evaluate the accuracy and credibility of news stories before they are published.
The role of an editor with a political degree can vary depending on the specific organization or publication you work for. In general, editors are responsible for overseeing the content and quality of news stories, including fact-checking, copyediting, and ensuring that the stories meet the publication’s standards and guidelines. As an editor with a political degree, you may be responsible for editing news stories on politics and government-related topics and other areas such as international news, business, and culture.
You need strong writing and communication skills, attention to detail, critical thinking, and the ability to work under tight deadlines. You should also have excellent organizational and project management skills, as editors are often responsible for managing a team of writers and coordinating the production of multiple stories.
Reporter
Hourly wage range:$16-$30
While a political degree may not be required to become a reporter, it can provide you with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills that can be helpful in journalism, mainly if you are interested in covering politics or government-related news.
Your role as a reporter with a political degree would typically involve researching, investigating, and reporting on political events and issues, such as election campaigns, legislative initiatives, and government policies. You may also cover other topics such as local news, sports, and human interest stories.
Some of the skills that would benefit you as a reporter with a political degree include strong writing and communication skills, critical thinking, research abilities, and the ability to work under tight deadlines. You may also need strong interpersonal skills to conduct interviews and build relationships with sources.
International relations jobs
Diplomat
Hourly wage range: $25 – $80
Diplomats represent their country abroad, negotiating with other countries and promoting their country’s interests. A political degree will be an excellent starting point if you’re interested in pursuing a career as a diplomat.
As a diplomat, you represent their country’s government, promoting and protecting national interests abroad, building relationships with foreign governments and organizations, and negotiating agreements and treaties.
A political degree can help aspiring diplomats gain a deeper understanding of international relations, global politics, and the workings of government, which are all essential for this career path. It can also help you develop critical thinking, research, and communication skills necessary for diplomats to analyze complex issues and negotiate with foreign officials.
You require the ability to work in a fast-paced environment that is constantly changing, good interpersonal skills, cultural awareness, and multilingualism. Diplomats also need to be able to think strategically, analyze complex issues, and develop creative solutions to problems.
Read also, what jobs can I get with a history degree?
Conclusion
What jobs can I get with a political science degree? A political science degree can open up a variety of lucrative careers in the public sector, non-profit sector, education sector, journalism sector, and international relations sector.
A major in political science gives you a solid grounding in politics, government, and public policy, which will help you succeed in any of these professions. Also, you pick up abilities that are crucial for providing services in your chosen career path.