Sociologists Salary by State and Metro Area
Sociologists in the United States earn a median salary of $106,030/year ($50.98/hr). Salaries range from $65,160 to $172,550 depending on experience. Below, compare salaries across 11 states and 10 metro areas where BLS publishes data.
$65K
10th percentile
$82K
25th percentile
$106K
Median
$137K
75th percentile
$173K
90th percentile
Sociologists salary by state
| State | Median | Hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $141K | $67.68/hr | , |
| Kentucky | $137K | $65.8/hr | 30 |
| North Carolina | $127K | $60.94/hr | 170 |
| California | $126K | $60.47/hr | 590 |
| Alaska | $108K | $52.01/hr | 40 |
| Massachusetts | $107K | $51.22/hr | 250 |
| Maryland | $101K | $48.39/hr | 50 |
| Washington | $97K | $46.72/hr | 130 |
| Michigan | $88K | $42.33/hr | 90 |
| Ohio | $79K | $37.91/hr | 130 |
| Florida | $47K | $22.57/hr | 160 |
Showing 1–10 of 11 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Top paying metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $135K | 110 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $131K | 40 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $131K | 30 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $127K | , |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $125K | 70 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $107K | 240 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $104K | 60 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $97K | 90 |
| Columbus, OH | $83K | 100 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $64K | 60 |