Sociology and Anthropology graduates earn $46,959 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $34,259 and $65,175. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.
This page covers Sociology and Anthropology as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Social Sciences and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Sociology and Anthropology is a focused area of study within Social Sciences. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $46,959 four years out, a modest return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 61 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 552 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. Coursework pairs research methods with the applied study of people and institutions.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$28,378
Median Earnings · 4yr
$46,959
Colleges Offering
61
Graduates / Year
552
Avg Net Price / yr
$24,909
How Much Do Sociology and Anthropology Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Sociology and Anthropology, a typical graduate earns $46,959, below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $34,259 and $65,175, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $28,378 at one year out to $46,959 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
$46,959
4-Year National Median
Below average for bachelor's degree holders.
$48,940
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Sociology and Anthropology graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Degree level and sector drive the gap. Graduate-level government and research roles anchor the top; entry-level social services and nonprofit roles anchor the bottom.
$34,25925th pct.
$46,959Median
$65,17575th pct.
Understanding the Cost vs. Return
At median 4-year earnings of $46,959 and an estimated $99,636 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 5.9 years. Compare specific programs before committing to a high-cost option.
Based on outcomes from 60 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 552 students who complete Sociology and Anthropology programs each year, the majority (100%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
100%
Bachelor's100%
What Can You Do With a Sociology and Anthropology Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Sociology and Anthropology graduates show up in 3 different occupations, and Anthropology and Archeology Teachers pay the most at $99,650/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Teach courses in anthropology or archeology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Advise students on academic and vocational curricula, career issues, and laboratory and field research.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as research methods, urban anthropology, and language and culture.
Study the origin, development, and behavior of human beings. May study the way of life, language, or physical characteristics of people in various parts of the world. May engage in systematic recovery and examination of material evidence, such as tools or pottery remaining from past human cultures, in order to determine the history, customs, and living habits of earlier civilizations.
Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.
Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology.
Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
Top Colleges for Sociology and Anthropology
Not sure where to study Sociology and Anthropology? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Sociology and Anthropology graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Social Sciences Programs
Sociology and Anthropology is not the only path through Social Sciences: 12 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Sociology and Anthropology program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
Sociology and Anthropology carries financial trade-offs prospective students should weigh carefully. The 2 strengths and 3 concerns below are drawn from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts.
PROS
Strong salary growthMedian earnings climb from $28,378 at graduation to $46,959 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Positive job outlookRelated careers project up to +6.0% job growth over the next 10 years, a solid signal for long-term demand.
CONS
Modest median earningsFour-year median of $46,959 lags STEM and business fields, affecting ROI at higher-cost programs.
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
High earnings varianceGap between 25th ($34,259) and 75th ($65,175) percentile is wide. Where you land depends heavily on employer, role, and location.
Sociology and Anthropology Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Sociology and Anthropology graduates earn?
$46,959 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $34,259 and $65,175, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Sociology and Anthropology degree?
$28,378 in the first year out. That grows to $46,959 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Sociology and Anthropology degree?
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers are one path, and it pays a median of $99,650 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Sociology and Anthropology program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Sociology and Anthropology bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Sociology and Anthropology?
61 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Sociology and Anthropology degree worth it?
$46,959 median earnings four years out against $24,909 a year in average net price. That is a slow payback, so cost matters more than usual here: a cheaper school changes the answer. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Sociology and Anthropology and Social Sciences?
Sociology and Anthropology is the narrower of the two: Social Sciences covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Sociology and Anthropology-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Sociology and Anthropology graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Sociology and Anthropology graduates consistently look for research methodology, interpersonal communication, and policy understanding. Experience with surveys, qualitative interviews, or statistical tools is often a differentiator in government, nonprofit, and research roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
What is the job outlook for Sociology and Anthropology graduates?
Outlook is moderate overall: related occupations average +3.6% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Anthropologist & Archaeologist is among the strongest-growth roles at +6.0%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
Related Social Sciences Programs
Other programs in Social Sciences. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Choose a Major Pillar
A decision framework for picking a college major using your interests, aptitudes, and federal earnings data to reach a defensible choice before applying.
Yes, most schools allow it, but the schedule math rarely works without either overlapping requirements or extra time. Here's when it actually fits in four years.
The real cost of a second major, when it pays back and when it doesn't, and why a focused single major with a relevant minor often beats a double major.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
All 38 Majors, Ranked by What Graduates Earn
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
Major earnings
Highest paying majors
Job growth
STEM
Field of study
Does Engineering Tech Out-Earn Engineering? The Data Says No
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Engineering tech
Engineering
Program earnings
Applied degree
Technician careers
STEM Is Not One Thing: The Pay Gap Within STEM
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
STEM earnings
Engineering pay
Computer science
Program earnings
Major choice
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
