Cynthia Matos '19
BA, sociology with psychology minor
“As a sociology major, part of the program of study is learning about intersectionality. Race, class, gender, (dis)ability, and sexuality are important when we are working under part of a system because it gives us the tools to recognize how it affects the students' lives and our personal lives. If we are aware of how race, class, and gender affect our students, we can advocate for our students in different ways.”
Rebekah Lapwood '17
BA, sociology
“I have been able to apply the skills and knowledge I gained as a student to my work. In turn, my work has allowed me to utilize and gain experience applying those skills. Certain courses in the curriculum were difficult and challenged me to question my own views. However, I am thankful for those courses because it is important to challenge your own views and I learned so much from those lessons.”
This is where a sociology degree can take you...
The sociology program prepares students to be career-ready, by equipping students with: critical thinking skills; analytical skills; reading, writing, and oral communication skills; quantitative literacy and statistical reasoning ability; research skills (both quantitative and qualitative); and social skills (e.g., communication skills and cross-cultural competency).
The following is a partial list of possible job/career areas for those with a bachelor's degree in sociology:
Social Services - rehabilitation, case management, group work with youth or the elderly, recreation or administration.
Community work - fundraising for social service organizations, nonprofits, childcare or community development agencies, or environmental groups.
Corrections - probation, parole, or other criminal justice work.
Business - advertising, marketing and consumer research, insurance, real estate, personnel work, training, or sales.
College settings - In admissions, alumni relations, or placement offices.
Health services - family planning, substance abuse, rehabilitation, counseling, health planning, hospital admissions, and insurance companies.
Publishing, journalism, and public relations - writing, research, and editing.
Government services - federal, state, and local government jobs in such areas as transportation, housing, agriculture, and labor.
Teaching - elementary and secondary schools, in conjunction with appropriate teacher certification.
Pay and Job Outlook
Because sociology majors work in different jobs across different fields and industries, a comparison of income trends and job outlook becomes nearly impossible. The job outlook for sociology majors, in general, depends on many factors. Income potential often is greater in the private sector than in the public sector. There also is higher income potential in certain industries (law, business, and healthcare, for instance) vs. occupations in nonprofit organizations and social services.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, the median annual wage for sociologists was $83,420 in May 2019. The typical entry-level education is a master's degree. The beginning salaries of those with a sociology degree who have less work experience and less education are more likely to hover closer to $46,920.
Employment of sociologists is projected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations between 2019-2029.
Candidates with graduate degrees, strong statistical and research skills, and a background in applied sociology will have the best job prospects.
Career Planning with a Sociology Degree
The jobs and careers that sociology majors get are less likely to be sociological in the academic sense and more likely to apply the ideas, theories, and lessons from sociology to the job. Internships, thus, can be valuable for students who would like to test the waters and apply their sociological knowledge and skills to employment-like opportunities. Internships can help students hone their sociological skills while gaining additional marketable skills that will provide students with advantages when searching for longer-term employment.
DISCOVER INTERNSHIPS IN SOCIOLOGY
What are Sociology Alumni Doing?
Many of our sociology graduates are in graduate school – law school, master's programs in education, public policy, school counseling, etc. Our other graduates are in different stages of careers that span different industries.