Occupation · SOC 19-3041
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 wage
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Projected growth
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Annual openings
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per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
705 mapped
Core skills
SpeakingActive ListeningWritingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive LearningSocial PerceptivenessLearning StrategiesJudgment and Decision MakingInstructingComplex Problem SolvingMonitoringSystems EvaluationSystems AnalysisScienceCoordinationTime ManagementService OrientationPersuasionMathematicsManagement of Personnel ResourcesNegotiationOperations AnalysisProgrammingManagement of Material ResourcesTechnology DesignManagement of Financial ResourcesOperations MonitoringQuality Control AnalysisTroubleshootingRepairingOperation and ControlInstallationEquipment SelectionEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
Sociology and AnthropologyEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingMathematicsHistory and ArcheologyComputers and ElectronicsLaw and GovernmentPsychologyPhilosophy and TheologyCommunications and MediaAdministration and ManagementGeographyPersonnel and Human ResourcesCustomer and Personal ServiceAdministrativeForeign LanguageTherapy and CounselingEconomics and AccountingSales and MarketingFine ArtsPublic Safety and SecurityProduction and ProcessingMedicine and DentistryTelecommunicationsBiologyDesignTransportationEngineering and TechnologyFood ProductionMechanicalBuilding and ConstructionPhysicsChemistry
Technology & tools
ATLAS.tiAdobe AcrobatAdobe DreamweaverAdobe PhotoshopCircle Systems Stat/TransferCustomer relationship management CRM softwareData visualization softwareDatabase management system DBMSESRI ArcGIS softwareEmail softwareFacebookFund accounting softwareHelios TextPadIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft PublisherMicrosoft VisioMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordMuthen & Muthen MplusOnline reference databasesQSR International NVivoQualtrics Research SuiteRSAP softwareSASSalesforce softwareScientific Software International HLMScientific Software International LISRELSocial media sitesStataCorp StataThomson Reuters EndNoteVERBI MAXQDAWeb browser softwareWeb editing software
Representative tasks
Getting InformationAnalyzing Data or InformationInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersProcessing InformationUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeWorking with ComputersThinking CreativelyTraining and Teaching OthersDocumenting/Recording InformationOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersScheduling Work and ActivitiesProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersCoaching and Developing OthersMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsPerforming Administrative ActivitiesDeveloping and Building TeamsResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesAssisting and Caring for OthersStaffing Organizational UnitsSelling or Influencing OthersInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsPerforming General Physical ActivitiesControlling Machines and ProcessesRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentHandling and Moving ObjectsOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Sociological data — collect through structured observation and document review under faculty or senior researcher supervision in an academic or applied research setting.Survey instruments and interview protocols — administer to study participants following established procedures within a supervised research project.Quantitative and qualitative datasets — organize and prepare for analysis using analytical software under the guidance of a principal investigator.Research literature — review and synthesize to identify relevant theories and prior findings in preparation for an assigned study.Descriptive statistics and basic coding schemes — apply to summarize data patterns within a structured sociological research context.Draft sections of research reports — write clearly and accurately under direction, adhering to disciplinary conventions and publication standards.Sociological concepts such as group relations, inequality, and social norms — explain to undergraduate students or community stakeholders with faculty oversight.Geographic information system and word processing software — use to organize, map, and present preliminary research data in a university or think-tank environment.IRB and ethical research protocols — follow consistently when collecting data involving human subjects in social science research contexts.Conference presentations of research findings — prepare supporting materials and assist senior researchers in delivering results at professional meetings.
developing
Social behavior datasets — analyze and interpret independently to draw evidence-based conclusions about group dynamics, poverty, or aging within an applied research role.Questionnaire and interview study designs — develop and implement with limited oversight, selecting appropriate methods for the research question at hand.Mixed-methods research projects — conduct with reduced supervision, adapting data collection strategies when field conditions deviate from the original plan.Journal articles and technical reports — prepare and revise to publication-ready standard, incorporating peer and editorial feedback in a research organization or university context.Sociological theory and empirical findings — teach in undergraduate courses, designing lesson plans and assessments that meet departmental learning objectives.Inferential statistical models and thematic coding — apply routinely to test hypotheses about societal issues such as crime trends or intergroup conflict.Research findings — present at professional conferences, fielding questions from disciplinary peers and synthesizing implications for ongoing scholarly debate.Stakeholder interviews and focus groups — facilitate with emerging autonomy to gather attitudinal and behavioral data in community-based or policy research environments.Analytical software platforms — use proficiently to manage, clean, and model large social science datasets produced by longitudinal or cross-sectional studies.Sociological research methods and findings — explain accessibly to general public audiences through media engagement, policy briefs, or community forums.
proficient
Complex sociological research programs — design, implement, and evaluate end-to-end, spanning theory development through dissemination in academic or policy research institutions.Multi-method data collection strategies — develop and validate across diverse populations, ensuring rigor and cultural responsiveness in national or cross-national study contexts.Non-routine analytical challenges — resolve autonomously by selecting and combining advanced quantitative and qualitative techniques to illuminate nuanced social phenomena.Peer-reviewed publications and high-impact reports — produce independently, contributing original theoretical and empirical insights to scholarly and policy conversations.Graduate-level sociology courses and seminars — teach with full curricular autonomy, mentoring students in research design, data analysis, and professional writing.Societal issues such as structural inequality, crime, and demographic change — investigate through original theoretically grounded research that advances disciplinary knowledge.Cross-disciplinary research teams — coordinate as lead investigator, integrating perspectives from psychology, law, economics, and related fields to address complex social questions.External funding proposals — develop and submit to competitive grant agencies, articulating research significance and methodological soundness to review panels.Systems-level analyses of social institutions — conduct by evaluating organizational structures, policies, and cultural norms using a combination of historical and contemporary data.Public and policy audiences — engage proactively to translate sociological evidence into actionable recommendations on issues such as poverty alleviation or aging policy.
advanced
Institutional research agendas — set and champion at the departmental or organizational level, aligning sociological inquiry with societal needs and funding landscapes.Emerging methodological innovations — introduce and diffuse across research communities, establishing new standards for data collection, analysis, or theory building in the discipline.Doctoral students and early-career researchers — mentor systematically, shaping their intellectual development, professional identities, and long-term career trajectories.National or international research collaborations — lead as principal investigator or consortium director, managing multi-site teams and sustaining complex long-term study programs.Disciplinary theory — advance through synthesis of empirical programs, producing foundational scholarship that reframes understanding of crime, stratification, or group relations.Academic and policy institutions — advise at senior levels, leveraging sociological expertise to inform legislation, organizational reform, or resource allocation decisions.Peer review and editorial processes — guide as journal editor or grant panel chair, shaping the quality and direction of knowledge production across the sociological field.Organizational culture and intellectual climate — cultivate within a department or research center, modeling integrity, curiosity, and tolerance for ambiguity as core scholarly values.Cross-sector partnerships with government, NGOs, and industry — establish and steward to translate sociological research into scalable social interventions and evidence-based programs.Public discourse on pressing societal issues — shape through authoritative expert commentary, policy testimony, and high-visibility communication that bridges scholarship and civic life.
Also known as
21 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Clinical EvaluatorClinical SociologistCriminologistDemographerEvaluation SpecialistFamily SociologistMedical SociologistPenologistPolicy AdvisorPolicy AnalystPolicy OfficerProgram EvaluatorResearch AssociateResearch CoordinatorResearch ScientistResearch SpecialistRural SociologistSocial ScientistSocial Welfare Research WorkerSociologistUrban Sociologist