What Does it Take to Be a Social Scientist?
Job Description & Duties All social scientists and related workers not listed separately.
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Types of Social Scientist Jobs
- Intelligence Specialist
- Human Factors Scientist
- Psychometrist
- Ethnologist
- Paleologist
Is There Job Demand for Social Scientists?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 42,100 jobs in the United States for Social Scientist. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.7% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 2,800 new jobs for Social Scientist by 2026. There will be an estimated 4,200 positions for Social Scientist per year.

The states with the most job growth for Social Scientist are Utah, Vermont, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, South Dakota, or South Carolina. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Social Scientist Average Salary
The salary for Social Scientists ranges between about $50,610 and $126,060 a year.

Social Scientists who work in Virginia, Maryland, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Social Scientists in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $84,890 |
Alaska | $74,550 |
Arizona | $83,830 |
Arkansas | $71,970 |
California | $78,970 |
Colorado | $81,380 |
Connecticut | $77,930 |
Delaware | $67,990 |
District of Columbia | $102,300 |
Florida | $78,510 |
Georgia | $86,810 |
Hawaii | $94,440 |
Idaho | $57,570 |
Illinois | $78,140 |
Indiana | $82,010 |
Kansas | $83,440 |
Kentucky | $71,870 |
Louisiana | $72,880 |
Maine | $74,750 |
Maryland | $98,920 |
Massachusetts | $80,210 |
Michigan | $75,380 |
Minnesota | $94,380 |
Mississippi | $70,590 |
Missouri | $70,180 |
Montana | $70,380 |
Nevada | $79,120 |
New Hampshire | $91,030 |
New Jersey | $88,350 |
New Mexico | $79,880 |
New York | $84,940 |
North Carolina | $73,420 |
North Dakota | $68,190 |
Ohio | $77,450 |
Oklahoma | $74,190 |
Oregon | $76,420 |
Pennsylvania | $83,400 |
South Carolina | $74,050 |
South Dakota | $68,980 |
Tennessee | $61,800 |
Texas | $80,430 |
Utah | $67,320 |
Vermont | $81,360 |
Virginia | $110,090 |
Washington | $77,850 |
West Virginia | $73,480 |
Wisconsin | $73,870 |
Wyoming | $67,870 |
Who Employs Social Scientists?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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