Career
Sociologists
Study how groups, institutions and societies work.
$106,030
Median pay
+3.8%
Job growth, 2025–35
200
Openings a year
Master's degree
Typical education
6 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then people & care?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Analyze and interpret data to increase the understanding of human social behavior.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
6 years of education after high school (master's degree), for a median of $106,030 a year and 200 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- SociologySee the degree →
- CriminologySee the degree →
- Social SciencesSee the degree →
- Research Methodology and Quantitative MethodsCIP 45.0102
- Survey Research/MethodologyCIP 45.0103
- CriminologyCIP 45.0401
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary$84,290 · +2.2%
- Anthropologists and Archeologists$70,770 · +6.0%
- Political Scientists$142,080 · -2.0%
- Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary$77,570 · +2.6%
- Survey Researchers$69,460 · -4.8%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.