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What Can You Do With a Sociology Degree? Jobs (2026)
Key takeaway: A sociology degree reaches three different labor markets. Research titles pay the most and hire the least: sociologists earn a median annual wage of $106,030 but the occupation has about 300 annual openings. Human services hires constantly at lower pay: social and human service assistants earn $45,930 with 50,600 annual openings. Analysis is the middle: market research analysts and marketing specialists earn $78,760 with 87,200 annual openings (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Which market you reach depends mostly on how much methods and statistics you actually did.
Sociology is the study of social structure taught through theory plus research methods. There is no license attached to it and almost no job posting says “sociology degree required.” That is not a knock on the major; it means the degree has to be translated. The translation is your methods coursework, your capstone, and whatever field or internship experience you attached to it. Graduates who can say “I designed the instrument, cleaned the data, ran the model, and wrote the findings” get hired into analysis. Graduates who can only describe the theory get hired into entry-level service roles.
Jobs you can get with a sociology degree
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Annual openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sociologists | $106,030 | 300 |
| Sociology teachers, postsecondary | $84,290 | 1,100 |
| Social and community service managers | $80,390 | 18,600 |
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists | $78,760 | 87,200 |
| Survey researchers | $69,460 | 700 |
| Social science research assistants | $61,990 | 5,200 |
| Child, family, and school social workers | $59,550 | 35,100 |
| Social and human service assistants | $45,930 | 50,600 |
View the data behind this chart
| Occupation | Avg. annual openings |
|---|---|
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 87,200/yr |
| Social and Human Service Assistants | 50,600/yr |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | 35,100/yr |
| Social and Community Service Managers | 18,600/yr |
| Social Science Research Assistants | 5,200/yr |
| Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,100/yr |
| Survey Researchers | 700/yr |
| Sociologists | 300/yr |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians and BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034. Median means half of workers in the occupation earned more and half earned less. Entry requirements differ sharply by occupation; several of these expect a graduate degree or a license the sociology major does not provide.
Sociologists. Research work: designing studies of social behavior, institutions, and group dynamics for universities, research organizations, and government. The national median annual wage was $106,030. The 10th percentile was $65,160 and the 90th was $172,550 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 3,400 in 2024, projected to grow 3.6 percent through 2034, with about 300 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Entry generally requires a master’s or doctorate. Treat this as the smallest door in the field, not the default destination.
Sociology teachers, postsecondary. College and university faculty teaching sociology courses. The median annual wage was $84,290. The 10th percentile was $49,930 and the 90th was $160,140 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 15,400 with 2.1 percent projected growth and 1,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Full-time and tenure-track roles generally expect a doctorate; community college and adjunct teaching often accepts a master’s with graduate credits in the discipline.
Social and community service managers. Directing programs at nonprofits, government agencies, and community organizations: budgets, staff, outcomes reporting, and stakeholder relationships. The median annual wage was $80,390. The 10th percentile was $53,150 and the 90th was $132,260 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 219,800 with 6.4 percent projected growth and 18,600 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). This is usually a promotion destination reached after several years of program work, not a first job.
Market research analysts and marketing specialists. Studying what people buy and why, using surveys, focus groups, and sales data. The median annual wage was $78,760. The 10th percentile was $43,390 and the 90th was $155,480 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 941,700 with 6.7 percent projected growth and 87,200 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). By volume this is the largest realistic destination for a sociology bachelor’s, and the reason is the methods sequence: survey design, sampling, and regression are the same skills with a commercial subject.
Survey researchers. Designing and administering surveys and analyzing the results for research firms, polling organizations, and government. The median annual wage was $69,460. The 10th percentile was $39,260 and the 90th was $130,860 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 8,800 and is projected to decline 5.2 percent through 2034, with 700 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). It is the closest occupational match to the sociology methods sequence and it is shrinking. Plan accordingly.
Social science research assistants. Supporting research projects: collecting data, running analyses, managing datasets, and preparing reports. The median annual wage was $61,990. The 10th percentile was $38,090 and the 90th was $102,070 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 40,600 with 4.4 percent projected growth and 5,200 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). This is the most common first research job for a bachelor’s holder and a standard stepping stone into graduate study.
Child, family, and school social workers. Casework with children and families in schools, agencies, and child welfare systems. The median annual wage was $59,550. The 10th percentile was $42,280 and the 90th was $95,530 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 399,900 with 3.4 percent projected growth and 35,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Read the requirement carefully: many of these positions require a social work degree and state licensure, which a sociology major does not provide. See social work.
Social and human service assistants. Front-line support in social service agencies: intake, referrals, case notes, and helping clients navigate services. The median annual wage was $45,930. The 10th percentile was $34,200 and the 90th was $63,290 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 449,600 with 6.4 percent projected growth and 50,600 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). It is the most open door for a new graduate and the lowest paid on this list. Human services is the major built specifically for it.
What the degree level changes
The online bachelor’s in sociology reaches research assistant, program coordinator, case management, community outreach, and market research roles. Whether it reaches the analysis roles depends on the methods sequence and the capstone, not on the diploma.
The online master’s in sociology adds advanced methods and evaluation, which opens applied research, program evaluation, and management tracks, and it is the on-ramp to doctoral study. The sociologist and postsecondary teaching occupations effectively require graduate study, and both are small.
Nothing here is licensed by the sociology degree itself. Licensure in this neighborhood belongs to social work and counseling, and it runs through accredited programs in those fields.
Common questions
What jobs can you get with a sociology degree?
Research assistant, program coordinator, case manager, community outreach specialist, human resources assistant, policy research support, and market research analyst are the common bachelor’s destinations. With graduate study, the list adds program evaluator, applied researcher, sociologist, and community college instructor.
How much do sociology majors make?
It varies by which occupation you enter. BLS OEWS May 2025 national medians range from $45,930 for social and human service assistants to $106,030 for sociologists, with market research analysts and marketing specialists at $78,760 and social and community service managers at $80,390.
Do you need a graduate degree in sociology?
Not for most of the jobs the major actually reaches. You do need one for the occupation titled sociologist and for postsecondary teaching. If the goal is applied research or evaluation, a master’s is a real advantage; if the goal is program or service work, experience usually matters more.
Which sociology career pays best?
Sociologists carry the highest national median at $106,030. Next are sociology teachers, postsecondary, at $84,290 and social and community service managers at $80,390 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). The highest median is also the narrowest door, at roughly 300 annual openings.
Can I be a social worker with a sociology degree?
Not a licensed one. Clinical and school social work positions generally require a degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education plus state licensure. Sociology graduates who want that path typically enter an MSW afterward.
Is a sociology degree worth it?
It is worth it if you use the methods sequence and finish with a research project you can show, or if it is a deliberate step toward graduate study, law, or policy work. It is a poor purchase if you expect the major title alone to produce job offers. The is a sociology degree worth it page walks through the trade-offs.
Keep exploring
- Start at the sociology program hub, then compare levels: online bachelor’s and online master’s.
- Walk through how to become a sociologist, or weigh the trade-offs on is it worth it.
- Find programs near you at the state index.
- Compare related fields: social work, human services, criminology, psychology, and liberal arts.
Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.