The average salary for a sociologist in California is around $125,770 per year.
Avg Salary
Sociologists earn an average yearly salary of $125,770.
Wages typically start from $85,030 and go up to $161,710.
51% above national average Updated in 2025
Sociologist earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level sociologist earnings begin at:
$77.74 per hour
$161,710 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level sociologist earnings begin at:
$66.69 per hour
$138,710 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level sociologist earnings begin at:
$60.47 per hour
$125,770 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level sociologist earnings begin at:
$47.49 per hour
$98,770 per year
10th percentile
Starting level sociologist earnings begin at:
$40.88 per hour
$85,030 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 California. On average, they make less than mathematicians but more than microbiologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Mathematician salary | $127K |
| Scientist salary | $120K |
| Molecular biologist salary | $114K |
| Bioinformatics scientist salary | $114K |
| Geneticist salary | $114K |
| Sociologist salary | $126K |
| Hydrologist salary | $122K |
| Intelligence analyst salary | $125K |
| Epidemiologist salary | $111K |
| Microbiologist salary | $109K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)