What do sociologists do?

Popular jobs for sociology grads

Criminal justice: Corrections, rehabilitation, law
enforcement, the justice system, parole system
Business and industry: Advertising, consumer and
market research, management of nonprofit
organizations, human resources, training and human
development, leadership training
Research and planning: Governmental and regional
planning departments, research firms, evaluation
research, public opinion research
Agencies: Social services, mental health services,
adoption, child care, youth services, developmental
disability services

Popular jobs for sociology grads

Government: Social science analysis, Census Bureau
and other federal agencies, administration, policy
analysis, personnel, Homeland Security.
Education: Public and private schools, colleges and
universities, administration, alumni relations, placement
offices, educational research and programming
Advocacy: Environmental, child welfare, national
policies, victims rights, labor rights, community
organization
Communications: Technical writing, newspaper and
magazine reporting, public relations, social media
management

What are recent sociology

grads doing?

Future plans for sociology grads

Source: ASA study: What Can I Do With a Bachelors in Sociology? A National

Survey of Seniors Majoring in Sociology Wave II (2008)

Jobs for sociology grads

Occupation

Example

Social Services, Counselors, Psychologists

Oversee AIDS outreach team

26.5

Administrative Support

Scheduler for a state representative

15.8

Management

Handle employment and labor relations

14.4

Marketing

Planning and developing marketing strategies

10.1

Services

Crime scene technician

8.3

Teachers, librarians

Provide reference, research, and database

searching

8.1

Social Science, Researchers

Research climate change policies

5.7

Other professionals

Website design

6.8

Other

N/A

4.4

Source: ASA study: What Can I Do With a Bachelors in Sociology? A National

Survey of Seniors Majoring in Sociology Wave II (2008)

Ranked among best jobs in U.S.

Source: Best and Worst Jobs in The Wall Street Journal

(2009) http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123119236117055127

Current job openings

Sociology jobs on Indeed.com:
http://www.indeed.com/q-Sociologyjobs.html
Career options with median salaries:
http://resources.alljobopenings.com/sociolo
gy-majors

Majoring in sociology

Sociology degrees awarded by level

(1966-2010)
40,000
35,915

35,000
31,858

30,848

30,000

28,556

27,992

29,000

25,296
24,158

25,000

23,073

22,062

19,644

19,181

20,000

15,993

15,203

14,347

15,000

13,085

12,165

Bachelors
Masters

10,000
Doctorates*

5,000
981

1,816

2,236

1,451

1,157

986

1,213

1,675

1,774

2,031

1,453

638
738
598
592
586
573
549
534
535
531
527
510
446
0 244
66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10

Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, The Higher Education General
Information Survey, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, and the
National Science Foundation's Survey of Doctoral Recipients

Top Reasons for Majoring in Sociology

(Percent responding very important)

Source: Bachelors and Beyond Survey (2005)

Grad studies for sociology grads

Professional Degree Fields

34.8%

Social work/human services

18.3

Law, pre-law, or legal studies

8.4

Health professional and related sciences

8.1

Sociology

13.0%

Other Degree Fields

24.6%

Education

6.4

Psychology

5.0

Business

3.1

Criminology

2.7

Library Science

1.9

Political Science

1.6

Visual and performing arts

1.6

Languages, linguistics, literature, and letters

1.5

Area and Ethnic Studies

0.4

Urban and religious services

0.4

Other/Joint Programs

27.6%

TOTAL

100.0%

Source: ASA study: What Can I Do With a Bachelors in Sociology? A National

Survey of Seniors Majoring in Sociology Wave II (2008)

Top ASA sections for students

Source: ASA Membership Database, 2010

Satisfaction with major choice

Job search resources

Start looking at job ads early!
Get an idea of the job market for your field
Take classes that match skills employers want
Resources for social science majors:
idealist.org (also good for internships)
academyhealth.org
USAjobs.gov
SocialService.com

Resources for any major:

CollegeGrad.com and Indeed.com
WCU Career Center (225 Lawrence Center)
Your academic adviser & professors
Professional organizations (e.g., American
Sociological Association) for networking,
mentoring, & research opportunities