Sociologists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$106,030
United States, 2025
Employment
2,260
United States, 2025
Typical education
Doctoral Degree
Job Zone 5
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 19-3041.00
- Job zone
- 5
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Collaborate with research workers in other disciplines.
- Write grants to obtain funding for research projects.
- 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.
- Plan and conduct research to develop and test theories about societal issues such as crime, group relations, poverty, and aging.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$65,160
25th percentile
$82,300
75th percentile
$137,420
90th percentile
$172,550
Most important skills
- Speaking4.1
- Active Listening4.1
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Writing4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Learning Strategies3.9
- Instructing3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Monitoring3.5
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 18 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
18
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.1 | 4.6 | Not selected | 4.6 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 | 4.6 | Not selected | 4.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.8 | Not selected | 4.8 |
| Writing | 4.0 | 4.8 | Not selected | 4.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.9 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.5 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Instructing | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Science | 3.1 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $193,950
Compare with SociologistsSupplemental
National median $99,650
Compare with SociologistsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | $140,770 | — | 2025 |
| KY | $136,870 | 30 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $134,770 | 110 | 2025 |
| Stockton, CA | $131,170 | 30 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $131,170 | 40 | 2025 |
| Durham, NC | $126,760 | — | 2025 |
| NC | $126,760 | 170 | 2025 |
| CA | $125,770 | 590 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $124,540 | 70 | 2025 |
| AK | $108,170 | 40 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $106,530 | 240 | 2025 |
| MA | $106,530 | 250 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $103,840 | 60 | 2025 |
| MD | $100,660 | 50 | 2025 |
| WA | $97,170 | 130 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $97,170 | 90 | 2025 |
| MI | $88,040 | 90 | 2025 |
| Columbus, OH | $82,820 | 100 | 2025 |
| OH | $78,850 | 130 | 2025 |
| Lansing, MI | $64,180 | 60 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Sociologists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.