Sociologists pay in the U.S.
$114,920avg. a year
$55.25 an hour · 2,260 employed
Sociologists in the U.S. earn an average of $114,920 a year and a median of $106,030. Pay is highest in Illinois ($143,940) and lowest in Ohio ($84,440).
$106,030Median pay
$55.25Average hourly
+23%Avg. pay since 2020
2,260Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for sociologists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1
Illinois
$143,940
$69.20 an hour
2170 jobs
North Carolina
$129,740
$62.37 an hour
3250 jobs
Massachusetts
$123,460
$59.36 an hour
4590 jobs
California
$123,090
$59.18 an hour
530 jobs
Kentucky
$121,880
$58.60 an hour
690 jobs
Michigan
$105,120
$50.54 an hour
7130 jobs
Washington
$103,430
$49.73 an hour
850 jobs
Maryland
$100,930
$48.52 an hour
940 jobs
Alaska
$100,910
$48.51 an hour
10160 jobs
Florida
$86,550
$41.61 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Sociologists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $101k$101k–$105k$105k–$123k$123k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $131,480 | $63.21 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $123,880 | $59.56 |
| Columbus, OH | $84,660 | $40.70 |
Related jobs
- Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$112,750
- School Psychologists$99,160
- Urban and Regional Planners$94,750
- Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$107,690
- Psychologists, All Other$111,210
- Economists$142,130
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Sociologists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $100,910 | $108,170 | 40 |
| California | $123,090 | $125,770 | 590 |
| Florida | $86,550 | $46,950 | 160 |
| Illinois | $143,940 | $140,770 | – |
| Kentucky | $121,880 | $136,870 | 30 |
| Maryland | $100,930 | $100,660 | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $123,460 | $106,530 | 250 |
| Michigan | $105,120 | $88,040 | 90 |
| North Carolina | $129,740 | $126,760 | 170 |
| Ohio | $84,440 | $78,850 | 130 |
| Washington | $103,430 | $97,170 | 130 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$123,880
240 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$131,480
110 jobsColumbus, OH
$84,660
100 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do sociologists make?
The average is $114,920 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $106,030 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $55.25, and the median is $50.98 an hour.
Which state pays sociologists the most?
Illinois, with an average of $143,940 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $131,480.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $65,160 a year, and the top 10% earn over $172,550.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-3041. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.