Science
Sociologists
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.
Median salary
$101,690
Typical range
$61k – $169k
Job outlook
+4% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Sociologists
Education
Typical entry: Master's degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Sociologists Intern
Internship
$36,000
~4 mos to advance
Junior Sociologists
Entry / Junior
$60,710
~2 yrs to advance
Sociologists
Established
$101,690
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Sociologists
Senior
$135,140
Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Science
Explore all- Massachusetts Institute of Technology4% admit · $124,000 grad pay
- California Institute of Technology3% admit · $112,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- Stanford University4% admit · $122,000 grad pay
- University of California, Berkeley11% admit · $97,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.