Sociology degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in sociology earn a median $52,120 four years after finishing, across 458 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in sociology earn $55,839, $6,210 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is social workers, all other (3%).
Median across 458 colleges; middle half $47,631–$57,508.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $36,661–$78,204. 5,511 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Sociology"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$20,201/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs sociology graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in sociology actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Workers, All Other | 3% | $71,900 | +2.3% | Bachelor's degree | — |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 3% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Other Managers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| Human Resources Workers | 3% | $76,700 | +6.1% | — | — |
| Police Officers | 2% | $76,250 | +3.5% | — | — |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Retail Sales Workers | 2% | $48,520 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent | ECS |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 2% | $47,540 | -6.0% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
These 8 jobs account for 20% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Sociology earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $40,790 (4) | — |
| Arizona | $54,611 (4) | — |
| Arkansas | $42,390 (5) | — |
| California | $56,519 (44) | $59,662 (1,444) |
| Colorado | $49,619 (11) | $58,094 (147) |
| Connecticut | $59,684 (12) | — |
| Florida | $50,798 (12) | $53,625 (181) |
| Georgia | $45,959 (12) | $52,473 (133) |
| Idaho | $39,701 (4) | — |
| Illinois | $53,747 (17) | $50,762 (211) |
| Indiana | $54,144 (9) | — |
| Iowa | $52,597 (6) | — |
| Kansas | $45,661 (5) | — |
| Kentucky | $50,364 (4) | — |
| Louisiana | $45,776 (8) | — |
| Maryland | $53,998 (10) | $61,101 (125) |
| Massachusetts | $61,173 (21) | $71,068 (191) |
| Michigan | $51,028 (10) | — |
| Minnesota | $50,174 (7) | — |
| Missouri | $44,769 (10) | — |
| Nebraska | $47,763 (3) | — |
| New Hampshire | $54,785 (3) | — |
| New Jersey | $53,253 (15) | $57,869 (168) |
| New York | $58,469 (41) | $65,628 (445) |
| North Carolina | $46,195 (15) | $50,794 (191) |
| Ohio | $50,457 (24) | — |
| Oklahoma | $48,562 (3) | — |
| Oregon | $55,204 (5) | $51,325 (132) |
| Pennsylvania | $51,319 (24) | $54,572 (141) |
| Rhode Island | $59,643 (3) | — |
| South Carolina | $47,117 (10) | — |
| South Dakota | $50,765 (3) | — |
| Tennessee | $43,902 (10) | — |
| Texas | $46,328 (24) | $53,808 (302) |
| Utah | $50,087 (3) | — |
| Vermont | $55,918 (4) | — |
| Virginia | $54,122 (15) | $60,855 (168) |
| Washington | $57,846 (9) | $68,216 (176) |
| Wisconsin | $49,486 (11) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where sociology graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 21 in Florida, 31 in Virginia, 59 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William & MaryVA | $87,655 | $14,000 |
| 2 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $71,363 | $13,131 |
| 3 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA | $70,555 | $10,324 |
| 4 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA | $69,883 | $16,750 |
| 5 | University of VirginiaVA | $68,538 | $20,500 |
| 6 | Loyola Marymount UniversityCA | $68,053 | $19,500 |
| 7 | California Lutheran UniversityCA | $67,998 | — |
| 8 | National UniversityCA | $64,860 | $28,125 |
| 9 | University of California-Los AngelesCA | $64,692 | $14,500 |
| 10 | George Mason UniversityVA | $64,603 | $20,514 |
| 11 | University of MiamiFL | $63,764 | $18,250 |
| 12 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVA | $63,654 | $22,859 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Sociology degree questions
How much do Sociology graduates make?
Sociology graduates earn a median $52,120 four years after finishing, across 458 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $47,631 to $57,508; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in sociology, the median is $55,839 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Sociology degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in sociology earn a median $55,839: $6,210 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $20,201 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Sociology graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in sociology, the most common jobs are social workers, all other (3%), elementary and middle school teachers (3%), other managers (3%). Social Workers, All Other earn a U.S. median $71,900.
How much do Sociology graduates earn in Florida?
Across 12 Florida colleges reporting, Sociology graduates earn a median $50,798 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $53,625.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Sociology degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/sociology.