Polarization switching (PS) characteristics in a 1550 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) subject to circularly polarized optical injection (CPOI) are experimentally investigated. The results show that, under different biased current, a solitary 1550 nm VCSEL can oscillate at y polarization mode (y mode), two polarization components (PCs) coexistence or x polarization mode (x mode). The PS characteristics induced by CPOI for the VCSEL operating at y mode and x mode are analyzed and the evolutions of dynamical states with the injected power are discussed. Additionally, the mappings of nonlinear dynamical states are given in the parameters space of the injected power and frequency detuning.