Sociologists
Study human society and social behavior by examining the groups and social institutions that people form, as well as various social, religious, political, and business organizations. May study the behavior and interaction of groups, trace their origin and growth, and analyze the influence of group activities on individual members.
Most important skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Social Perceptiveness
Key knowledge
- Sociology and Anthropology
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
- History and Archeology
- Computers and Electronics
- Law and Government
- Psychology
What the work involves
- Prepare publications and reports containing research findings.
- Analyze and interpret data to increase the understanding of human social behavior.
- Plan and conduct research to develop and test theories about societal issues such as crime, group relations, poverty, and aging.
- Collect data about the attitudes, values, and behaviors of people in groups, using observation, interviews, and review of documents.
- Develop, implement, and evaluate methods of data collection, such as questionnaires or interviews.
- Teach sociology.
- Direct work of statistical clerks, statisticians, and others who compile and evaluate research data.
- Consult with and advise individuals such as administrators, social workers, and legislators regarding social issues and policies, as well as the implications of research findings.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Social, Artistic.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Doctoral Degree (50% of respondents)
- Related experience
- None (42.1%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 4 years, up to and including 10 years (36.8%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Sociologists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 91% of occupations compared | 40% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others about half the time” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 78% of occupations compared | 35% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly important” |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 92% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “Important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very high | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 91% of occupations compared | 80% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 86% of occupations compared | 45% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Conflict situations | Moderate | Higher on conflict situations than 54% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 51% of occupations compared | 37% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Very low | Lower on consequence of error than 95% of occupations compared | 47% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very low
- Conflict situations: moderate
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: very low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 5%
- Contact with others about half the time: 40%
- Contact with others most of the time: 40%
- Constant contact with others: 15%
n = 20, Occupational Expert 08/2023
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 20%
- Fairly important: 35%
- Important: 20%
- Very important: 10%
- Extremely important: 15%
n = 20, Occupational Expert 08/2023
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 15.79%
- Important: 42.11%
- Very important: 26.32%
- Extremely important: 15.79%
n = 19, Occupational Expert 08/2023
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: 10%
- Some freedom: 10%
- A lot of freedom: 80%
n = 20, Occupational Expert 08/2023
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 15%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 45%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 35%
- Every day: 5%
n = 20, Occupational Expert 08/2023
Conflict situations
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 36.84%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 42.11%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 15.79%
- Every day: 5.26%
n = 19, Occupational Expert 08/2023
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 10.53%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 36.84%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 26.32%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 21.05%
- Every day: 5.26%
n = 19, Occupational Expert 08/2023
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 36.84%
- Fairly serious: 47.37%
- Serious: 10.53%
- Very serious: 0%
- Extremely serious: 5.26%
n = 19, Occupational Expert 08/2023
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O*NET-SOC 19-3041.00 · SOC 19-3041 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8