Sociologists
What Sociologists Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- 3%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 5 of 5Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Job training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Sociology and Anthropologyimportance 5.0/5
- English Languageimportance 4.6/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 4.2/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.5/5
- History and Archeologyimportance 3.4/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.4/5
- Law and Governmentimportance 3.2/5
- Psychologyimportance 3.1/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail5.0/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.7/5
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.7/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
- Spend Time Sitting4.3/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.0/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary99% skill match
- Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary99% skill match
- Political Scientists98% skill match
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary98% skill match
- Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary98% skill match
- History Teachers, Postsecondary98% skill match
- Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary98% skill match
- Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary98% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.9/5
- Instructingimportance 3.6/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.6/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.1/5
- Systems Evaluationimportance 3.1/5
- Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- ATLAS.ti
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Circle Systems Stat/Transfer
- Data visualization software
- Database management system DBMS
- Email software
- Fund accounting software
- Helios TextPad
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Innovation
- Achievement Orientation
- Integrity
- Dependability
- Tolerance for Ambiguity
- Cooperation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- InvestigativeHigh
- SocialMedium
- ArtisticMedium
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingMedium
- RealisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where sociologists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Lansing-East Lansing, MI18.93× national avg
- 2Columbus, OH6.11× national avg
- 3Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH6.09× national avg
- 4San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA3.29× national avg
- 5Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA2.95× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Political ScientistsLateral Move
- Sociology Teachers, PostsecondaryCareer Change
- Social Work Teachers, PostsecondaryCareer Change
- Political Science Teachers, PostsecondaryCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Sociology, General
- University of California-Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA)grads earn ~$60,013
- University of California-Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$64,692
- California State University-Northridge (Northridge, CA)grads earn ~$54,500
- California State University-Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$50,249
- California State University-Fullerton (Fullerton, CA)grads earn ~$50,922
Survey Research/Methodology
- East Los Angeles College (Monterey Park, CA)grads earn ~$47,624
- University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)grads earn ~$74,690
- Sierra College (Rocklin, CA)grads earn ~$45,195
- College of the Canyons (Santa Clarita, CA)
- Yuba College (Marysville, CA)grads earn ~$43,965
Criminology
- University of California-Irvine (Irvine, CA)grads earn ~$57,935
- University of South Florida (Tampa, FL)grads earn ~$53,883
- University of Maryland-College Park (College Park, MD)grads earn ~$67,258
- California State University-Fresno (Fresno, CA)grads earn ~$48,647
- Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ)grads earn ~$56,676