Are you a Political Science major looking for career opportunities? Are you wondering what you can do with your degree? Maybe you are exploring the various possibilities and trying to determine which career path is right for you.
Well, you have come to the right place! In this blog post, we will be exploring the most popular careers for Political Science majors. We will look at what these jobs entail and the potential salary.
Popular Careers for Political Science Majors
1. Attorney
An article published in Above the Law, an online resource that covers everything about the legal industry, revealed that politics influenced 87% of law school applicants. So it is one of the most typical paths for political science majors.
You can go on to become an attorney. Lawyers have different specialties that you can choose from, such as criminal law, international law, corporate law, and tax law, to name a few. For instance, energy lawyer Amir Handjani is also a political science major.
An attorney’s duties generally include researching cases, analyzing information, and preparing legal arguments.
An attorney’s average salary ranges from $87,012 to $157,000 annually.
2. Campaign Manager
A campaign manager is a crucial figure in any political campaign who helps with everything from planning and strategy to day-to-day operations. While the spotlight often goes to the candidate, the campaign manager is often behind every triumphant election victory.
At their core, a campaign manager ensures that a political candidate gets elected by helping set up and manage all aspects of a successful campaign. This includes setting out an overall strategy for success – like messaging and fundraising – and ensuring that all parts of everyday operations run smoothly.
The tasks don’t stop there either; they may also be responsible for hiring staff, managing budgets, and organizing events – including debates or speaking engagements.
Of course, one more critical job falls to them: ensuring their candidate is as ready as possible when they reach Election Day.
Campaign managers can earn from $41,000 t0 $110,000 per year.
3. Diplomat
Another popular career path for Political Science majors is becoming a diplomat. These professionals negotiate and represent foreign governments and organizations while upholding their country’s and organization’s values.
They negotiate treaties and help resolve conflicts among nations and other international organizations. Diplomats are also responsible for representing their hosts in important meetings and conferences and bringing messages from the host country to their government back home.
As their skills grow, they also have the opportunity to become ambassadors of their country to specific countries or international organizations.
American diplomats earn $104,801 yearly.
4. Policy Analyst
As a policy analyst, your job is to research and advise on public policies for various government bodies as well as private companies.
For instance, many policy analysts work for government agencies or research institutes like the National Economic Research Associates (NERA) or the Congressional Research Service. Others work for private companies like Oracle Corporation or Bain & Company LLC as political consultants or research analysts.
While policy analysts don’t specifically get to change policies, they can impact them significantly by evaluating policies and making recommendations based on their research.
Policy Analysts can earn up to $88,216 per annum.
5. Journalist
Political Science majors can pursue a career in journalism as well. Journalists write and report the news or broadcast it to the public through television or radio. They spend time interviewing people or doing background research about current events or issues of interest in their community or country.
As a Political Science major, you can use your knowledge to break down complex political issues into lay terms and explain their relevance.
Journalists can earn between $35,433 to $82,875 yearly.
6. Political Research Analyst
A Political Research Analyst is a professional who provides individuals and organizations with data, information, and analysis related to politics. These professionals are responsible for researching political issues that affect their employers or clients to make informed decisions. They must also be familiar with the current political climate to anticipate potential changes.
Political Research Analysts use a variety of sources, such as polls, surveys, news reports, and public documents, to build an understanding of the political environment.
They must be able to interpret complex data and analyze it from multiple perspectives to provide accurate assessments and forecasts.
In addition, they evaluate policies proposed by different political parties for their effectiveness and implications for various stakeholders. The analyst then presents their findings using visual aids or written reports so that others can understand them easily.
A Political Research Analyst earns $98,725 per year.
These are only a few of the many jobs that are available to Political Science majors. If you are passionate about politics or international relations, these are the careers you should consider exploring further! Each of these careers has many opportunities for advancement and continued growth.
