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Sociology

Types of Degrees Sociology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Sociology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	5,001
Bachelor’s Degree	24,388
Master’s Degree	1,400
Doctor’s Degree	591

What Sociology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Sociology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Sociology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Sociology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Sociology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Sociology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Sociology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Sociology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Sociology graduates include:

• Lecturer
• Social Science Professor
• Professor
• Sociology Adjunct Instructor
• Sociology Instructor
• Race Relations Professor
• Comparative Sociology Professor
• Sociology Professor
• Adjunct Sociology Professor
• Instructor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Sociology Adjunct Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Marriage and Family Teacher
• Assistant Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Sociology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	36.4%
Doctoral degree	30.2%
Master’s degree	15.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.1%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%
Some college courses	2.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.7%
Post-doctoral training	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Sociology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 75% of Sociology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	23,537	75.0%
Men	7,843	25.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Sociology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	11,346	36.2%
Asian	2,089	6.7%
Hispanic or Latino	10,391	33.1%
Black or African American	3,998	12.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	157	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	92	0.3%
Two or More Races	1,599	5.1%
Race Unknown	561	1.8%
International Students	1,147	3.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Sociology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Sociology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,618
4 years	$45,375
5 years	$52,385

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $52,385 — roughly 51% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Sociology Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Sociology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	40	29
Bachelor’s	63	78
Master’s	10	9

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Sociology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Sociology graduates earn a median of $45,375 four years after completion — roughly 19% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Social Sciences	45
Anthropology	45.02
Archeology	45.03
Criminology	45.04
Demography	45.05
Economics	45.06
Geography and Anthropology	45.15
Geography and Cartography	45.07
International Relations and National Security Studies	45.09
Political Science and Government	45.10
Rural Sociology	45.14
Social Sciences, General	45.01

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.