If you are thinking about a career in sociology, you probably have some questions about what your prospects will be when it comes to salary, employment, and employment growth. In this article, I will tell you what jobs you can get with a sociology degree and provide information on the average earnings of sociologists.
A sociology degree can prepare you for a variety of careers, but it’s most useful for positions that require an understanding of how people interact with one another. Sociologists are employed by companies to help them better understand their customers and employees, for example, and they’re also hired by government agencies to study crime trends and recommend policies based on their findings.
Sociologists are also able to apply their knowledge in a variety of non-traditional fields. For example, if you have an interest in social media marketing or law enforcement, then a sociology degree could be very helpful in those fields as well.
What jobs can a sociology degree get you
Introduction
It’s not uncommon for people to assume that the most obvious career choice for a sociology major is “sociologist.” But, in reality, there are a wide range of occupations available to anyone who has a college degree in the field. Sociology can actually provide you with an excellent foundation from which you can pursue many different types of careers. The following are some examples:
- Researcher
- Writer
- Criminal justice professional
- Consultant
- Social work
- Counselor
- Fundraising manager
- Human resources manager
- Management analyst
In addition to these jobs, sociology majors have the skills and knowledge base necessary to go into any number of other fields such as law enforcement, business administration, politics or government affairs. Lastly, because they have learned about different cultures during their studies, sociologists often find themselves working abroad as diplomats or international relations experts. They also make good candidates for public policy research positions within think tanks like RAND Corporation where they might analyze social issues like homelessness or poverty rate trends over time.
Researcher
One of the best jobs for a sociology degree is that of researcher. Sociologists have the ability to research many different aspects of society and use their findings to help improve it. A researcher can work in any number of fields, from education to business, from politics to medicine. One thing they all have in common: they are constantly studying how societies work and how they can be improved.
Researching also allows you to look at yourself or your own life situation objectively. When people do not do this, it’s easy for them to fall into traps that other people see right away—but our stubbornness keeps us from seeing these things ourselves until someone points them out for us!
Writer
You can write for newspapers, magazines and websites. You can write about social issues, politics, history and many other things. You can also write about your own experiences and others’ experiences.
Criminal justice professional
The answer to this question is yes, and no. A sociology degree can get you into criminal justice, but it may not be necessary for your career success. The key to finding a job in criminal justice is to understand what types of jobs are available and how much education you need for those positions.
As a general rule, most people working in the criminal justice field have some kind of training beyond high school. It’s common for individuals who work as police officers or detectives to hold bachelor’s degrees or higher in areas like criminology or criminal justice studies; however, there are also many entry-level positions that don’t require any specific degree at all (such as corrections officers).
Consultant
A consulting job is a great way to apply your sociology degree. Consulting firms hire sociology majors to help companies solve problems, make decisions and improve operations. You will be able to use your knowledge of sociology to help companies understand their customers and employees better. You will also use your research skills to find out what is going on in the organization and how it relates to outside factors that might affect sales or productivity. Your analytical skills will be used when you bring together all the data that you have collected and develop solutions for these problems based on theories from other disciplines such as psychology, economics or business management.
Social work
Social work is a good option for those with a sociology degree. A social worker can work with people in many different situations and help them deal with their problems. Social workers are usually interested in helping others, which makes it an appealing career for many people. If you want to work with children or youth, social work could be the right choice for you.
Counselor
Counselors help people with their personal, professional and social problems. They listen to clients and provide advice for resolving issues.
Most counselors work in mental health settings such as hospitals or clinics. Others work at schools, courts and other community agencies. Counselors also work directly with individuals, families or groups of people dealing with specific problems. A bachelor’s degree is usually required for this job. However, some employers may accept a master’s degree in an area such as psychology or social work instead of an undergraduate degree if they feel you have enough experience working with people under your belt already — which I believe would certainly be true if you were to get into the field with a sociology degree! The median annual wage for counselors was $45,330 in 2016 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Fundraising manager
Fundraising managers, also known as development officers, are responsible for raising money for organizations. This is a broad job description and fundraising managers may work in all kinds of industries. In most cases, they are the first contact that donors have with an organization and they play a crucial role in convincing them to give their money or time to the cause.
To be successful at this job, you need excellent communication and sales skills—you will be talking to people constantly! Your conversations will always be focused around asking for money or resources from potential donors so it’s important that you know how to make your case convincingly and professionally. You should also have good organizational skills because fundraising involves keeping track of the many tasks associated with seeking out contributions from supporters: sending out mailers; scheduling phone calls; contacting high-profile individuals who might give large amounts of money or who could bring other benefits such as media attention; creating proposals; writing reports on results achieved by fundraising efforts (or lack thereof).
Human resources manager
- Human resources managers are responsible for hiring and managing employees.
- They are responsible for the day to day operations of the human resources department.
- They also manage employee benefits, employee relations and employee safety.
Management analyst
Management analysts are people who help businesses improve their operations. To get this job, you will need a bachelor’s degree in sociology or a related field. You should be able to work well in teams and have good problem-solving skills.
- How much does it pay? The median annual wage for management analysts was $77,200 in May 2016 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Your sociology degree can take you into many different jobs
Your sociology degree can take you into many different jobs. But how do you decide which one to pursue?
- First, list the things that are most important to you in your job: money, flexibility, location and so on. Write down all of the requirements for each job, then compare them with your preferences.
- Second, think about what skills employers look for in a candidate. These are often listed as “skills required” or “skills needed” on job postings and applications; look for these terms when browsing job listings and make sure that you have experience or training in those areas before applying. For example, if a company lists “proofreading skills” as a requirement but does not mention the level of experience required (or whether any sort of proofreading certification is needed), consider taking a course before applying.
Conclusion
A sociology degree can open the door to many different careers. Depending on your interests, you might choose one that is more technical and analytical, such as statistics. Or maybe you would prefer something with more human interaction, such as counseling or social work. Whatever path you pursue, know that it’s within reach!
