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THE
SOCIOLOGY
JOB SEARCH
AND YOU
WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY ABOUT?
Studying human society and social behavior
Examining groups and social institutions
Understanding human interaction, lifecycles,
populations, and social phenomena
MAJOR INDUSTRIES FOR SOCIOLOGISTS
Teaching with an advanced degree
Human Services/Social Work
Human Resources Management
Social Research & Data Analysis
Public Employment (Government)
Non-profit sector
Criminal Justice
TEACHING WITH AN ADVANCED DEGREE
University and college professors
 Median salary: $62,050 yearly
 Job outlook: 17% growth by 2020
 What they do: teach, advise, assess, research, publish,
mentor
 In 2010, 70 % of professors worked for colleges,
universities, and professional schools and 22% worked for
junior colleges.
 Professors annually hold about 1.8 million jobs
 Must find a balance between teaching students and doing
research and publishing their findings
 Most must have a Ph.D. However, a master's degree may
be enough for some community colleges.
FOR TEACHING WITH AN ADVANCED DEGREE JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!
• Assistant Professor
• Associate Professor
• Full Professor
• Department Chair
• Dean or Associate Dean
• Director of Student Life
• Director of Testing Services
• Curriculum Lead
• University Vice President/Chancellor
TEACHING WITH AN ADVANCED DEGREE
High School Teacher
 Average salary: $33,840 yearly
($50K for some Master’s level teachers)
 Job outlook: 7% growth by 2020
 Sociology is taught in more PRIVATE high schools than
PUBLIC high schools
 Pay can be increased to compensate for advisor, coaching,
or other administrative duties
 From 2010 to 2020, the student-to-teacher ratio is
expected to decline. Must have a B.A. and teacher
certification or licensing
Human Services
• Segmented according to community demographic
• Sociology vs. Social Work
• Pros: “emotional paycheck”, Cons: emotionally/physically taxing, lowpaying
• Earnings: median for social & human service assistant: $28,200
• Potential Employers
– Nonprofit, Medical/Health Organizations, Governmental,
Corrections/Rehabilitation
• Job Search Strategy:
– Determine which social concerns interest you the most
– Identify your personal qualifications
– Obtain required professional qualifications
– Build skills and gain direct experience
– Network with professionals working in the field
• Outlook: grow by nearly 28% by 2020
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
• Functions: hiring & placement, salary/benefits administration,
training & development, data management, workplace change,
and conflict resolution
• Potential Employers:
–Education, Employment agencies, Finance and Insurance,
Government, Health care, Manufacturing, Service, corporate
• Job search strategy:
–Get relevant experience
–Be ready to explain the value of your degree
–Identify employment settings that fit
• Earnings: median for bachelor’s degree: $99,180
• Job growth: 13% by 2020
• The most human resource managers (14%) come from
GOVERNMENT
HUMAN RESOURCES - JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!
Human Resources Manager
Human Resources Specialist
Training and Development
Managers
Administrative Services
Manger
Hiring/On-boarding Manager
Compensation Manager
Payroll Specialist
Benefits Specialist
Counselor
Mediators
Hearing Officers
Recruiter
SOCIAL RESEARCH & DATA ANALYSIS
• Research is 2nd in popularity among sociologists with a masters
or doctorate
• Purpose: effectively evaluate programs and social problems
• Median Earnings: $72,360 annually
• Outlook: grow by 18% by 2020
• Typically difficult for bachelor’s degree candidates – you need a
Master’s degree or higher
• Job Strategy:
–Network with university alumni
–Look in unexpected places
• marketing, customer relations
–Focus your search on specific issues
–Gain relevant experience
SOCIAL RESEARCH & DATA ANALYSIS –
JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!
Urban and regional planner
City manager
Survey Researcher
Focus Group Moderator
Director of Research
DATA ANALYST
In reality, everyone is a data analyst!
These jobs use SPSS or other statistical packages to analyze
all sorts of data from surveys or databases of existing
customers, clients, patients, or patrons of an organization.
Median salary for entry level analysts is $53,000 (Bachelor’s
degree is usually required). Some experienced analysts can
make well over $250K yearly.
Promotion requires a Master’s degree or higher.
Job outlook: excellent in government and marketing (high
demand for statisticians and analysts)
Positions available across all kinds of organizations. Search
on keywords: SPSS, data analyst, researcher, statistician,
evaluator
DATA ANALYST - JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!
Data Analyst
Cost estimator
Researcher
Evaluator
Statistician
Primary Investigator
Institutional Research Officer
Grant Evaluator
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
• Large federal agencies that specifically hire
sociologists:
–Department of agriculture
• personnel management
–Drug enforcement administration
• intelligence research specialists
–Environmental protection agency
• health protection specialists
–Immigration & customs enforcement
–Department of Homeland Security (FBA, FDA)
TONS OF GOVT AGENCIES
NON-PROFIT SECTOR
Social and Community Service Managers
2010 Median pay: $57,950, (bachelor’s degree)
Job outlook: 27% by 2020 (fastest growth of all sociology-related fields)
Social and community service managers typically do the following:
•
Discuss with members of the community what types of programs
and services are needed, design and oversee programs to meet
community needs
•
Create methods to gather information, such as statistics, about the
impact of their programs
•
Supervise staff, analyze data to determine the effectiveness of
programs, carry out improvements to programs and services
•
Develop and manage budgets for programs and organizations
•
Get funding for programs though the agency’s budget process or
fundraising
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Median pay: $55,010 annually (police & detectives). Some small
jurisdictions typically offer low salaries, many local departments
face high turnover rates. Government spending determines the
level of employment for police and detectives.
Job growth: 7% by 2020
Police and detective work can be physically demanding, stressful,
and dangerous. Police officers have one of the highest rates of
on-the-job injuries and fatalities.
Jobs of some federal agents often require extensive travel, often
on short notice, relocations, and work in all kinds of weather.
Education requirements range from a high school diploma to a
college or higher degree. Graduate from their agency’s training
academy. Candidates must be U.S. citizens, usually at least 21
years old, and meet rigorous physical and personal
qualifications.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE - JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!
Correctional officer
EMTs/paramedics
Firefighters
Detectives (private and public)
Investigator
Probation Officer
Treatment Specialist
Security Guard
Police Officer
Warden
Judge
Substance Abuse Counselor
Emergency Management
Public Transportation Safety
Officer
Agent/Profiler or analyst
Paralegal or legal secretary
Stenographer
Court Clerk
Bailiff
Sheriff or Deputy
REFERENCES
US Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics
US Department of Education
USAJobs.gov
Lambert, Stephen. Great Jobs For Sociology Majors.
New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009.
ASA Research and Development Dept.: What Can I Do
With a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology? Wave III