The average salary for a sociologist in the United States is around $106,030 per year.
Avg Salary
Sociologists earn an average yearly salary of $106,030.
Wages typically start from $65,160 and go up to $172,550.
67% above national average Updated in 2025
Sociologist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level sociologist earnings begin at:
$82.96 per hour
$172,550 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level sociologist earnings begin at:
$66.07 per hour
$137,420 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level sociologist earnings begin at:
$50.98 per hour
$106,030 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level sociologist earnings begin at:
$39.57 per hour
$82,300 per year
10th percentile
Starting level sociologist earnings begin at:
$31.33 per hour
$65,160 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Sociologist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $97,170 |
| Oregon | $93,490 |
| Michigan | $88,040 |
| New York | $84,770 |
| Ohio | $78,850 |
| New Jersey | $76,170 |
| Wisconsin | $75,860 |
| Utah | $71,400 |
| Minnesota | $64,670 |
| Arizona | $61,570 |
| Indiana | $56,880 |
| Florida | $46,950 |
| South Dakota | $38,390 |
| Texas | $37,130 |
| Illinois | $140,770 |
| Kentucky | $136,870 |
| North Carolina | $126,760 |
| California | $125,770 |
| Pennsylvania | $121,470 |
| Alaska | $108,170 |
| Massachusetts | $106,530 |
| Maryland | $100,660 |
How do sociologist salaries compare to similar careers?
Sociologists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than biochemical engineers but more than geneticists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Biochemical engineer salary | $123K |
| Nanotechnology engineer salary | $123K |
| Nanosystems engineer salary | $123K |
| Geologist salary | $102K |
| Biostatistician salary | $106K |
| Sociologist salary | $106K |
| Scientist salary | $101K |
| Bioinformatics scientist salary | $99K |
| Molecular biologist salary | $99K |
| Geneticist salary | $99K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)