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Sociologists: Career Profile

Study human society and social behavior by examining the groups and social institutions that people form, as well as various social, religious, political, and business organizations. May study the behavior and interaction of groups, trace their origin and growth, and analyze the influence of group activities on individual members.

What Tasks Do Sociologists Take On?

The core tasks performed by sociologists span:

• Analyze and interpret data to increase the understanding of human social behavior.
• Prepare publications and reports containing research findings.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate methods of data collection, such as questionnaires or interviews.
• Collect data about the attitudes, values, and behaviors of people in groups, using observation, interviews, and review of documents.
• Teach sociology.
• Plan and conduct research to develop and test theories about societal issues such as crime, group relations, poverty, and aging.
• Present research findings at professional meetings.
• Explain sociological research to the general public.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Top sociologists combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Core Knowledge

Types of Sociologists Jobs

People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:

• Clinical Evaluator
• Clinical Sociologist
• Criminologist
• Demographer
• Evaluation Specialist
• Family Sociologist
• Medical Sociologist
• Penologist

Job Outlook

The U.S. employs around 139,598 sociologists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +3.0% over the projection horizon.

Salary for Sociologists

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$74,866
Hourly median	$35.99
10th percentile	$54,261
25th percentile	$64,564
75th percentile	$85,169
90th percentile	$95,472

Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.

Pay by State

State	Annual median salary
Oregon	$211,560
Illinois	$134,730
New York	$130,180
California	$120,610
North Carolina	$108,060
Massachusetts	$103,510
Maryland	$95,300
Washington	$88,330
Michigan	$82,910
Wisconsin	$82,570
Minnesota	$79,370
Ohio	$77,560
Florida	$40,000

Where Sociologists Earn the Most

Earnings for sociologists shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:

Region	Median annual wage	Share of U.S. jobs	Location quotient
Far Western US	$116,736	34.9%	1.86
Middle Atlantic	$107,757	6.5%	1.23
New England	$103,510	27.9%	8.57
Great Lakes	$79,945	9.8%	1.43
Plains States	$79,370	1.4%	0.58
Southeast	$78,891	19.5%	1.87

Top Metro Areas

Metro area	State	Median annual wage	Employment
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	IL	$134,730
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	CA	$132,200	150
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	NY	$130,180	40
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	CA	$128,600	60
Stockton-Lodi, CA	CA	$128,600	30
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	CA	$114,230	140
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	CA	$111,750	50
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	CA	$108,990	60

Which Industries Hire Sociologists

The largest employers of sociologists are found across these industries:

Industry	Employment	Median annual wage
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1,290	$113,520
Educational Services	760	$87,630
Other Services (except Public Administration)	70	$135,110

Sociologists work in the following industries:

Tools and Technology

• Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
• Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
• Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
• Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
• Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
• Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
• Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
• Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
• Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
• Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
• Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
• Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)

Work Environment

The on-the-job environment of sociologists is shaped by the following characteristics:

• E-Mail
• Freedom to Make Decisions
• Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Spend Time Sitting

Getting Started in This Career

This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

• Data Scientists (Primary-Long)
• Epidemiologists (Supplemental)
• Economists (Supplemental)
• Survey Researchers (Primary-Short)
• Industrial-Organizational Psychologists (Supplemental)
• School Psychologists (Supplemental)
• Neuropsychologists (Supplemental)
• Clinical Neuropsychologists (Supplemental)

Top Programs to Study For This Career

Future sociologists often complete programs in:

Social Sciences

12 programs across 6 majors

• Sociology
• Criminology
• General Social Sciences
• Urban Studies
• Sociology & Anthropology
• Demography & Population Studies

Health Professions and Related Programs

1 programs across 1 majors

• Bioethics/Medical Ethics

Sources

This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
• BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
• O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 19-3041.00 (Sociologists).