Social Sciences

Types of Degrees Social Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many social sciences graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	16,693
Doctor’s Degree	3,487
Graduate Certificate	2,112

What Social Sciences Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, social sciences majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Social Sciences Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in social sciences should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Skills for Social Sciences Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to social sciences:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Social Sciences Majors

A major in social sciences will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Social Sciences Major?

People with a social sciences degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Anthropologists	3.9%	$62,410
Anthropology and Archeology Professors	9.9%	$83,940
Archeologists	3.9%	$62,410
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists	19.0%	$64,430
City and Regional Planning Aides	4.4%	$46,640
Clinical Data Managers	33.9%	$87,780
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Economics Professors	10.9%	$101,480
Economists	6.1%	$104,340
Environmental Economists	6.1%	$104,340
Geographers	13.3%	$80,300
Geography Professors	8.0%	$80,350
Investment Fund Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	23.2%	$63,120
Political Science Professors	10.4%	$83,370
Political Scientists	2.7%	$117,570
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$60,320
Security Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Social Science Research Assistants	4.4%	$46,640
Social Sciences Professors	9.8%	$71,600
Sociology Professors	9.5%	$74,140
Statisticians	33.9%	$87,780
Supply Chain Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Survey Researchers	2.1%	$57,700
Transportation Planners	6.7%	$81,340
Urban and Regional Planners	12.8%	$73,050
Wind Energy Project Managers	8.0%	$107,480

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences?

Roughly 51% of the graduates are women, and 49% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of social sciences majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	802
Black or African American	1,191
Hispanic or Latino	1,663
White	7,277
International Students	4,516
Other Races/Ethnicities	1,244

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Social Sciences. About 27.1% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Social Sciences Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that social sciences students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $50,573 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $43,353 (25th percentile) and $62,525 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to social sciences.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $68,340 to $94,080 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to social sciences. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Social Sciences

Some degrees associated with social sciences may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for social sciences careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.4%
Some College Courses	0.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	27.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	27.0%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.8%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.9%
Doctoral Degree	33.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.9%

Online Social Sciences Programs

In 2020-2021, 1,698 schools offered a social sciences program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	89	5
Certificate (2-4 Years)	12	0
Associate’s Degree	1,053	135
Bachelor’s Degree	384	64
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	1,559	97
Post-Master’s	69	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	713	7
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	1	0

Is a Degree in Social Sciences Worth It?

The median salary for a social sciences grad is $85,750 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 115% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $917,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Social Sciences

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to social sciences.

Major	Number of Grads
Education	199,724
Psychology	42,013
Communication & Journalism	12,242
Library Science	5,929
History	4,391
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences	3,692
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies	2,911

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By AndrГ© KГјnzelmann under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.