Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary vs Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary: $80K vs $98K Median Pay

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary vs Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary: what changes?

Consider Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary if you want to teach courses in philosophy, religion, and theology. Consider Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary if you would rather teach courses in political science, international affairs, and international relations. Both list doctoral or professional degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary and Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025): $80,260
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,800

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary brief

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025): $98,070
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as classical political thought, international relations, and democracy and citizenship.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,500

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (21,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary brief

How the national numbers differ

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on median pay

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary is at $98,070, compared with $80,260 for Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary.

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on projected growth

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary is at 2.5% projected growth, compared with 2% projected growth for Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary.

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary is at 1,800 annual openings, compared with 1,500 annual openings for Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary.

42.5/ 100

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary

45.2/ 100

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary vs Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Dimension	Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary	Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Median pay (2025)	$80,260	$98,070
Pay percentile	72.7 percentile	81.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	2%	2.5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,800	1,500
2025 employment	26,800	21,500
How you qualify	Doctoral or professional degree	Doctoral or professional degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary brief Read Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary brief

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary vs Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

How the national numbers differ

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on median pay

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on projected growth

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary vs Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

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