Social Sciences

Types of Degrees Social Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many social sciences graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	17,314
Doctor’s Degree	3,726
Graduate Certificate	1,777

What Social Sciences Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to social sciences and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Social Sciences Majors

Social Sciences majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• 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

When studying social sciences, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• 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

As a social sciences major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• 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?

Below is a list of occupations associated with social sciences:

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?

According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 52% of the graduates are women, and 48% 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	763
Black or African American	1,205
Hispanic or Latino	1,482
White	7,761
International Students	4,715
Other Races/Ethnicities	1,388

Geographic Diversity

Social Sciences appeals to people across the globe. About 27.2% 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 2015-2017 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $49,900 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $42,400 (25th percentile) and $60,575 (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 you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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 careers associated with social sciences require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. 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.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to social sciences have obtained the following education levels.

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 the 2018-2019 academic year, 1,707 schools offered some type of social sciences program. 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)	328	28
Certificate (1-2 years)	89	7
Certificate (2-4 Years)	11	2
Associate’s Degree	974	140
Bachelor’s Degree	319	61
Post-Baccalaureate	328	28
Master’s Degree	1,520	128
Post-Master’s	69	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	689	4
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	2	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	187,512
Psychology	38,863
Communication & Journalism	11,707
Library Science	5,644
History	4,418
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences	3,917
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies	2,550

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.