Sociology
Social Sciences
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate's Degree | $45,161 | $40,709 to $48,681 | 29 | 93% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,596 | $46,146 to $57,117 | 474 | 94% |
| Master's Degree | $66,644 | $57,685 to $70,132 | 8 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +4% (2025 to 2035), about 108,300 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Social Science Research Assistants | $61,990 | +5% | 4,900 |
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | $72,990 | +1.6% | 1,300 |
| Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary | $84,290 | +2.2% | 1,000 |
| Sociologists | $106,030 | +3.8% | 200 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a sociology program, of 1,061 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- University of California-Santa Barbara
- University of California-Los Angeles
- California State University-Northridge
- California State University-Los Angeles
- California State University-Fullerton
- California State University-San Bernardino
- University of California-Riverside
- University of California-Berkeley
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.