Occupation salary profile

Sociologists

SOC 19-3041 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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.

National median · BLS
$106,030
▲ +4.27% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$82,059
▲ +5.34% YoY · 60 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$114,920
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
2,260
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Sociologists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 60 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$65,160$68,788
25th$82,300$72,567
Median (50th)$106,030$82,059
75th$137,420$107,076
90th — top pay$172,550$150,500
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $82,059 for Sociologists — 22.6% below the BLS national median of $106,030.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Sociologists

BLS projects employment of sociologists to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 200 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
2,700 → 2,800
+100 jobs
Projected change
+3.8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
200
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Master's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
6.2% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 5)
Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a master's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $82,059
Change vs prior year +5.34%
After inflation (CPI-U) +2.14%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 19 31.7% $64,788 $72,000 $80,304
Level II 15 25% $81,252 $83,500 $94,144
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Sociologists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening4.1
  • Speaking4.1
  • Active Learning4.0
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Learning Strategies3.9
  • Social Perceptiveness3.9
  • Complex Problem Solving3.6
  • Instructing3.6
Top knowledge areas
  • Sociology and Anthropology5.0
  • English Language4.6
  • Education and Training4.2
  • Mathematics3.5
  • History and Archeology3.4
  • Computers and Electronics3.4
  • Law and Government3.2
  • Philosophy and Theology3.1
Software and technology used
Adobe AcrobatAdobe PhotoshopESRI ArcGIS softwareFacebookIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft VisioMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordRSalesforce softwareSAP softwareSAS

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What sociologists do

  • 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.
  • Plan and conduct research to develop and test theories about societal issues such as crime, group relations, poverty, and aging.
  • Present research findings at professional meetings.
  • Explain sociological research to the general public.
Also called
DemographerMedical SociologistSocial ScientistSociologistEvaluation SpecialistPolicy AnalystResearch AssociateResearch CoordinatorResearch ScientistResearch Specialist
More job titles for this occupation (11)
Clinical EvaluatorClinical SociologistCriminologistFamily SociologistPenologistPolicy AdvisorPolicy OfficerProgram EvaluatorRural SociologistSocial Welfare Research WorkerUrban Sociologist

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.