History and Political Science degree: salary, jobs & colleges
13 colleges offer a bachelor's in history and political science. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in history earn $55,860, $6,189 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is elementary and middle school teachers (5%).
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $37,564–$83,250. 6,241 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "History"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$20,222/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs history and political science graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in history actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 5% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Other Managers | 4% | — | — | — | — |
| Secondary School Teachers | 4% | $70,930 | -0.2% | — | — |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Retail Sales Workers | 2% | $48,520 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent | ECS |
| Human Resources Workers | 2% | $76,700 | +6.1% | — | — |
| Retail Salespersons | 2% | $35,410 | -0.3% | No formal educational credential | EC |
| Paralegals And Legal Assistants | 2% | $62,890 | -0.3% | Associate's degree | CIE |
These 8 jobs account for 23% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
History and Political Science earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| California | — | $58,657 (855) |
| Colorado | — | $59,211 (177) |
| Connecticut | — | $59,662 (103) |
| Florida | — | $50,375 (252) |
| Georgia | — | $53,625 (175) |
| Illinois | — | $62,049 (254) |
| Maryland | — | $68,149 (126) |
| Massachusetts | — | $65,628 (233) |
| Michigan | — | $45,686 (106) |
| New Jersey | — | $64,797 (223) |
| New York | — | $71,500 (558) |
| North Carolina | — | $50,274 (256) |
| Ohio | — | $40,928 (179) |
| Pennsylvania | — | $57,190 (287) |
| South Carolina | — | $49,325 (104) |
| Tennessee | — | $50,103 (120) |
| Texas | — | $56,854 (464) |
| Virginia | — | $61,930 (308) |
| Washington | — | $63,242 (160) |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Related degrees
History and Political Science degree questions
Is a History and Political Science degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in history earn a median $55,860: $6,189 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $20,222 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do History and Political Science graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in history, the most common jobs are elementary and middle school teachers (5%), other managers (4%), secondary school teachers (4%). Elementary And Middle School Teachers earn a U.S. median $64,170.
Census field of degree matched to this major by EducationGuide (History and Political Science -> History).
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “History and Political Science degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/history-and-political-science.