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Role hub · Sociologists

Sociologist: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

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Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of sociologists earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$106,030
Hourly
$50.98
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Sociologists 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. The median pay is $106,030 a year ($50.98 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a doctoral degree (50% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$106,030
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
2,260
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 5 of 5
extensive preparation
Most common education
Doctoral Degree
50% of workers
Key facts

Sociologists at a glance

  • Sociologists in the United States earned a median annual wage of $106,030 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for sociologists in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of sociologists in the United States to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 200 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 2,260 people were employed as sociologists in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Sociologists

How to becomeSociologist how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →Career changeSociologist career change

Where these skills transfer, with skill match and pay change.

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The work

What sociologists do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Analyze and interpret data to increase the understanding of human social behavior.
  2. Prepare publications and reports containing research findings.
  3. Develop, implement, and evaluate methods of data collection, such as questionnaires or interviews.
  4. Collect data about the attitudes, values, and behaviors of people in groups, using observation, interviews, and review of documents.
  5. Plan and conduct research to develop and test theories about societal issues such as crime, group relations, poverty, and aging.
  6. Present research findings at professional meetings.
  7. Explain sociological research to the general public.
  8. Develop problem intervention procedures, using techniques such as interviews, consultations, role playing, and participant observation of group interactions.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all sociologist jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Professional, scientific, and technical services32.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +6.3% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $132,470
  2. Educational services; state, local, and private30.7% of all jobs in this occupation · +3.0% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $99,810
  3. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals27.0% of all jobs in this occupation · +1.8% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $103,740
  4. Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations2.1% of all jobs in this occupation · +10.4% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $135,380

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Active ListeningcoreSpeakingcoreReading ComprehensioncoreWritingCritical ThinkingActive LearningSocial PerceptivenessLearning StrategiesInstructing

Knowledge areas: Sociology and Anthropology, English Language, Education and Training, Mathematics, History and Archeology, Computers and Electronics.

Tools and technology

Software sociologists use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
  • ESRI ArcGIS softwareGeographic information systemHot technology
  • FacebookWeb page creation and editing softwareHot technology
  • IBM SPSS StatisticsAnalytical or scientific softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft VisioProcess mapping and design softwareHot technology
  • SASAnalytical or scientific softwareHot technology
  • ATLAS.tiAnalytical or scientific software
  • Adobe DreamweaverWeb page creation and editing software
  • Circle Systems Stat/TransferAnalytical or scientific software
  • Data visualization softwareAnalytical or scientific software
  • Database management system DBMSObject oriented data base management software
  • Microsoft PublisherDesktop publishing software

Also called: Demographer, Evaluation Specialist, Medical Sociologist, Policy Analyst, Research Associate, Research Coordinator.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.