Sociologists
Sociologists earn an average annual salary of $121,792, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Sociologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
660 Workforce in 2023
The Sociologists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Sociologists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$121,792 Average Wage
In 2023, Sociologists earned an average of $121,792.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Sociologists.
Salary distribution for Sociologists.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
2,266 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -2.3%
2,214 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -4.6%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Sociologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Sociologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Sociologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Sociologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
-2.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Sociologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Sociologists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 500 employees, $123,413 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Sociologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 140 employees, $118,783 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 120 employees, $125,929 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 60 employees, $121,916 avg wage
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 50 employees, $119,122 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 30 employees, $126,651 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 30 employees, $123,220 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 30 employees, $136,543 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 20 employees, $116,636 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 20 employees, $138,464 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Sociologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Sociologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Sociologists in 2023 was 660 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Sociologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Sociologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Sociologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Sociologists in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Sociologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Sociologists workers.
Education level distribution for Sociologists.
Skills
Sociologists need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Active Learning, Reading Comprehension, Writing.
Required skills for Sociologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Sociologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Sociologists include Sociology and Anthropology, English Language, Education and Training, Mathematics, History and Archeology.
Knowledge areas required for Sociologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Sociologists include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Written Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Sociologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Sociologists.
Daily Activities
Sociologists spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Analyzing Data or Information, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Processing Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
Most important work activities for Sociologists.
About
Sociologists
The average yearly wage for Sociologists was $121,792 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-3041 - Sociologists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Sociologists reports an average salary of $121,792, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 660 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.