Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 19-3041

Sociologists

The published band from $65,160 to $172,550 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Industrial-Organizational Psychologists.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Sociologists: Industrial-Organizational Psychologists ($194K) , Nuclear Technicians ($110K) , Physicists ($172K) , Astronomers ($129K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Sociologists publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-3041 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Analyze and interpret data to increase the understanding of human social behavior
  2. 2. Prepare publications and reports containing research findings
  3. 3. Develop, implement, and evaluate methods of data collection, such as questionnaires or interviews
  4. 4. Collect data about the attitudes, values, and behaviors of people in groups, using observation, interviews, and review of documents
  5. 5. Teach sociology
  6. 6. Plan and conduct research to develop and test theories about societal issues such as crime, group relations, poverty, and aging
  7. 7. Present research findings at professional meetings
  8. 8. Explain sociological research to the general public
  9. 9. Develop problem intervention procedures, using techniques such as interviews, consultations, role playing, and participant observation of…
  10. 10. Consult with and advise individuals such as administrators, social workers, and legislators regarding social issues and policies, as well…
  11. 11. Direct work of statistical clerks, statisticians, and others who compile and evaluate research data
  12. 12. Collaborate with research workers in other disciplines

Sociologists: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-3041 - lead skill Active Listening at 4.1 ; lead knowledge Sociology and Anthropology. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 4.1
  2. 2. Speaking 4.1
  3. 3. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  4. 4. Writing 4.0
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 4.0
  6. 6. Active Learning 4.0
  7. 7. Learning Strategies 3.9
  8. 8. Social Perceptiveness 3.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Sociology and Anthropology 5.0
  2. 2. English Language 4.6
  3. 3. Education and Training 4.2
  4. 4. Mathematics 3.5
  5. 5. History and Archeology 3.4
  6. 6. Computers and Electronics 3.4
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$65,160 to $172,550
median $106,030 · ~2.6× spread
$106K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
300
Annual openings
2,260
Estimated US jobs
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
Highest-pay peer · $194K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Master's degree

Top Paying States for Sociologists

1. Illinois $140,770
2. Alaska $108,170
3. California $125,770
4. North Carolina $126,760
5. Ohio $78,850
6. Washington $97,170
7. Kentucky $136,870
8. Michigan $88,040
9. Maryland $100,660
10. Massachusetts $106,530

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Physicists $172,250
  2. 2. Astronomers $128,820
  3. 3. Biochemists and Biophysicists $127,410
  4. 4. Materials Scientists $117,790
  5. 5. Industrial-Organizational Psychologists $193,950
  6. 6. Nuclear Technicians $110,240

The OEWS band for Sociologists runs from $65,160 (10th) to $172,550 (90th), about 2.6× wide, with median $106,030. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 300 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Master's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Illinois at $140,770. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Industrial-Organizational Psychologists at $193,950. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Sociologists pay-rank #11 in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

Among 48 detailed Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations with a published OEWS median, Sociologists is pay-rank #11, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Sociologists is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Sociologists salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 19-3041

Illinois · top state for Sociologists

$141K published median

Alaska · #2 state pay

$108K · behind Illinois

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

Highest-pay peer vs Sociologists · $194K

Nuclear Technicians

Lower-pay peer beside Sociologists · $110K

Compare Sociologists

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Sociologists with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles sit near Sociologists at the top of the pay table? ▼
Sociologists is pay-rank #11 of 48 detailed Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists ($103K), Geographers ($102K), Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers ($102K), Nuclear Technicians ($110K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do sociologists do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Sociologists. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for sociologists? ▼
For SOC 19-3041, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (4.1), Speaking (4.1), Reading Comprehension (4.0), Writing (4.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Sociology and Anthropology, English Language, Education and Training. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Sociologists? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $65,160 and the 90th at $172,550 for Sociologists (2.6× spread). The national median is $106,030. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Sociologists? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Sociologists is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 300. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Sociologists? ▼
BLS assigns Master's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Sociologists. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Sociologists? ▼
Illinois ($140,770), Alaska ($108,170), California ($125,770) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Sociologists card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-3041. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Sociologists. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics