Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020
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.
National estimates for Sociologists
Industry profile for Sociologists
Geographic profile for Sociologists
National estimates for Sociologists:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Sociologists:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 2,470 |
8.0 % |
$ 44.91 |
$ 93,420 |
2.3 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Sociologists:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 25.31 |
$ 31.58 |
$ 41.40 |
$ 53.80 |
$ 68.76 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 52,640 |
$ 65,680 |
$ 86,110 |
$ 111,910 |
$ 143,020 |
Industry profile for Sociologists:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Sociologists are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Sociologists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Sociologists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
1,180 |
0.16 |
$ 50.93 |
$ 105,930 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
470 |
0.02 |
$ 43.18 |
$ 89,810 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
460 |
0.02 |
$ 36.74 |
$ 76,410 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
80 |
0.00 |
$ 36.28 |
$ 75,470 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) |
30 |
0.00 |
$ 63.31 |
$ 131,690 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Sociologists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
1,180 |
0.16 |
$ 50.93 |
$ 105,930 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
460 |
0.02 |
$ 36.74 |
$ 76,410 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
470 |
0.02 |
$ 43.18 |
$ 89,810 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) |
30 |
0.00 |
$ 63.31 |
$ 131,690 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
80 |
0.00 |
$ 36.28 |
$ 75,470 |
Top paying industries for Sociologists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) |
30 |
(7) |
$ 63.31 |
$ 131,690 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
1,180 |
0.16 |
$ 50.93 |
$ 105,930 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
470 |
0.02 |
$ 43.18 |
$ 89,810 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
460 |
0.02 |
$ 36.74 |
$ 76,410 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
80 |
(7) |
$ 36.28 |
$ 75,470 |
Geographic profile for Sociologists:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Sociologists are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Sociologists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Sociologists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
980 |
0.06 |
3.36 |
$ 51.38 |
$ 106,870 |
| Michigan |
170 |
0.04 |
2.40 |
$ 39.64 |
$ 82,460 |
| Maryland |
140 |
0.05 |
3.02 |
$ 42.45 |
$ 88,290 |
| New York |
130 |
0.02 |
0.86 |
$ 35.23 |
$ 73,270 |
| Massachusetts |
120 |
0.04 |
2.09 |
$ 44.27 |
$ 92,090 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Sociologists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
980 |
0.06 |
3.36 |
$ 51.38 |
$ 106,870 |
| Maryland |
140 |
0.05 |
3.02 |
$ 42.45 |
$ 88,290 |
| Michigan |
170 |
0.04 |
2.40 |
$ 39.64 |
$ 82,460 |
| Massachusetts |
120 |
0.04 |
2.09 |
$ 44.27 |
$ 92,090 |
| Washington |
100 |
0.03 |
1.69 |
$ 36.24 |
$ 75,390 |
Top paying states for Sociologists:
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Sociologists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
380 |
0.16 |
9.28 |
$ 48.12 |
$ 100,090 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
150 |
0.03 |
1.48 |
$ 68.77 |
$ 143,030 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
150 |
0.05 |
2.73 |
$ 46.26 |
$ 96,220 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
120 |
0.01 |
0.74 |
$ 37.18 |
$ 77,340 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA |
110 |
0.11 |
6.45 |
$ 46.18 |
$ 96,050 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
100 |
0.04 |
2.23 |
$ 46.00 |
$ 95,690 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
80 |
0.05 |
3.09 |
$ 55.65 |
$ 115,740 |
| Columbus, OH |
70 |
0.07 |
3.89 |
$ 34.07 |
$ 70,860 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
50 |
0.03 |
1.48 |
$ 36.26 |
$ 75,420 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Sociologists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
380 |
0.16 |
9.28 |
$ 48.12 |
$ 100,090 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA |
110 |
0.11 |
6.45 |
$ 46.18 |
$ 96,050 |
| Columbus, OH |
70 |
0.07 |
3.89 |
$ 34.07 |
$ 70,860 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
80 |
0.05 |
3.09 |
$ 55.65 |
$ 115,740 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
150 |
0.05 |
2.73 |
$ 46.26 |
$ 96,220 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
100 |
0.04 |
2.23 |
$ 46.00 |
$ 95,690 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
50 |
0.03 |
1.48 |
$ 36.26 |
$ 75,420 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
150 |
0.03 |
1.48 |
$ 68.77 |
$ 143,030 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
120 |
0.01 |
0.74 |
$ 37.18 |
$ 77,340 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Sociologists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
150 |
0.03 |
1.48 |
$ 68.77 |
$ 143,030 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
80 |
0.05 |
3.09 |
$ 55.65 |
$ 115,740 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
380 |
0.16 |
9.28 |
$ 48.12 |
$ 100,090 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
150 |
0.05 |
2.73 |
$ 46.26 |
$ 96,220 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA |
110 |
0.11 |
6.45 |
$ 46.18 |
$ 96,050 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
(8) |
(8) |
(8) |
$ 46.05 |
$ 95,790 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
100 |
0.04 |
2.23 |
$ 46.00 |
$ 95,690 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
120 |
0.01 |
0.74 |
$ 37.18 |
$ 77,340 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
50 |
0.03 |
1.48 |
$ 36.26 |
$ 75,420 |
| Columbus, OH |
70 |
0.07 |
3.89 |
$ 34.07 |
$ 70,860 |
About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021
United States Department of Labor
