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Rural Sociology.

Types of Degrees Rural Sociology. Majors Are Earning

Those studying Rural Sociology. may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	51
Master’s Degree	7
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Rural Sociology. Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Rural 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 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Rural 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 4.4 / 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 Rural 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 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Rural 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
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Rural Sociology. professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Rural Sociology. graduates include:

• Social Science Professor
• Lecturer
• Naval Science Teacher
• City Planning Teacher
• Science Teacher
• Survey Research Teacher
• Industrial Arts Teacher
• Survey Research Professor
• Urban Planning Professor
• Weight Control Lecturer
• Humanities Teacher
• Urban Planning Teacher
• Family Consumer Science Teacher
• Liberal Arts Teacher
• Labor Relations Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	35.8%
Doctoral degree	31.4%
Master’s degree	15.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.2%
Postsecondary certificate	2.8%
Some college courses	2.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.8%
Post-doctoral training	0.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Rural Sociology.?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 80.3% of Rural Sociology. degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	49	80.3%
Men	12	19.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	36	59.0%
Asian	1	1.6%
Hispanic or Latino	11	18.0%
Black or African American	5	8.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	1.6%
Race Unknown	1	1.6%
International Students	6	9.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Rural Sociology. Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Rural Sociology. graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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.}

Is a Degree in Rural Sociology. Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Rural 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
Sociology	45.11
Applied/Public Sociology	45.1102
Sociology, General	45.1101
Sociology, Other	45.1199
Survey Research/Methodology	45.0103
Applied Demography	45.0502
Demography and Population Studies	45.0501
Demography, Other	45.0599
Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods	45.0102
Sociology and Anthropology	45.1301
Urban Studies/Affairs	45.1201
Criminology	45.0401

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.