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Job outlook for assistant professors of sociology in the United States
Assistant professor of sociology job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected assistant professor of sociology job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 159,400 new jobs for assistant professors of sociology are projected over the next decade.
Assistant professor of sociology salaries have increased 5% for assistant professors of sociology in the last 5 years.
There are over 3,722 assistant professors of sociology currently employed in the United States.
There are 33,243 active assistant professor of sociology job openings in the US.
The average assistant professor of sociology salary is $66,596.
Are assistant professor of sociology jobs in demand?
Assistant professor of sociology job and salary trends over time
Assistant professor of sociology jobs over time
Assistant professor of sociology job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,722 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,981 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,108 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,114 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 4,043 | 0.00% |
Average assistant professor of sociology salary over time
Assistant professor of sociology salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $66,596 | $32.02 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | $66,314 | $31.88 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $65,301 | $31.39 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $64,367 | $30.95 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $63,275 | $30.42 | +3.8% |
Assistant professor of sociology jobs by state
Most common states for assistant professors of sociology
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 193 | 28% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 85 | 11% |
| 3 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 548 | 10% |
| 4 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 178 | 10% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 64 | 10% |
| 6 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 389 | 9% |
| 7 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 640 | 8% |
| 8 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 81 | 8% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 290 | 7% |
| 10 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,189 | 6% |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 439 | 6% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 121 | 6% |
| 13 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 54 | 6% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 646 | 5% |
| 15 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 419 | 5% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 164 | 5% |
| 17 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 154 | 5% |
| 18 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 146 | 5% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 48 | 5% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 54 | 4% |
Most common cities for assistant professors of sociology
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 2 | 0% | $84,438 |
Assistant Professor Of Sociology job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of assistant professor of sociology experts
Tiffin University
Kean University
North Carolina State University
College of the Marshall Islands
Skidmore College
University of South Florida
Brandeis University
Gannon University
California State University, Fullerton
Southeastern Louisiana University
Fayetteville State University
Cal State LA
University of Kansas
Siena College
Kent State University
Skidmore College
Franklin and Marshall College
AGWA - American Grant Writers' Association, Inc.
What general advice would you give to an Assistant Professor Of Sociology?
Alex Holte PhD: My advice for someone new to the field of academia is to learn time management skills early and learn what type of service work you find interesting and would like to contribute to. From there, learn how to say “no” to opportunities that may not align with your goals as well. I feel a lot of new professors tend to find the need to be involved in everything, which can result in burning out later in their career.
What will help Assistant Professors Of Sociology increase their earning potential?
Alex Holte PhD: When you are starting out at any career, it is important to negotiate your salary. Many candidates feel that they have to accept their first offer, but in reality, at many jobs, there is some room for negotiation. Be mindful however, to not request a salary that is much higher than what is being offered as they may feel like a compromise would not be possible and move on to the next candidate.
Dr. Stephanie Opfer
Associate Professor of English, Assistant Dean of the School of Creative and Media ArtsTiffin University
Visual And Performing Arts
What Assistant Professor Of Sociology skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Stephanie Opfer: Flexibility and adaptability will be the biggest skills instructors will need. The state of higher education is changing, and the 'ivory tower' is going away. Colleges and universities are starting to focus more on career-oriented programs, which include practical and application skill sets. In order to stay relevant, the focus of humanities classes like art and film should be on teaching students analysis, synthesis, and other critical-thinking skills. The content becomes less important and becomes only the vehicle for teaching these skills.
What general advice would you give to an Assistant Professor Of Sociology?
Mia Fiore Ph.D.: First, I would tell all students that it is VERY different from teaching k-12. Unlike K-12, you are not placed in a school with a teaching job upon graduation; teaching in higher education is one of the most competitive fields, period. The next difference is that you are expected to be an expert/ master of your field. If you're also willing to accept that you will likely have to work as an adjunct professor (for low pay) first, then go for it! Teaching in higher education is the most rewarding job, especially for people who love learning.
What Assistant Professor Of Sociology skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mia Fiore Ph.D.: Awareness and familiarity with technology has become more important, and it will continue to be more important in the next 3-5 years. With everything from peer-reviewed journals available online, to AI, technology is an important part of higher education.
Jane Kuandre
Associate ProfessorWhat Assistant Professor Of Sociology skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jane Kuandre: Some essential skills for success in academia include critical thinking, effective communication, time management, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
What will help Assistant Professors Of Sociology increase their earning potential?
Alexander Velasquez: I think everyone should look into their career fields and find out what it is that makes you more valuable in that field. Are there any certifications that you can get? What is it that you need to know or learn that companies will find valuable? Much can be learned online, so pick up as many of those skills as you can, and make sure they're on your resume or CV. I believe all those things could maximize salary potential, especially when starting out.
Aurelie Matheron
Assistant Professor of FrenchSkidmore College
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What will help Assistant Professors Of Sociology increase their earning potential?
Aurelie Matheron: Do some research online about how much someone earns at your stage of the career. If there is a significant gap, point out (diplomatically) that, because of your extensive experience in XYZ, you would like to get a X% increase in your salary. Be reasonable: if you want a 3% increase, ask for 5% (not 10% or more). Justify your negotiation: why should they pay me more? What experience can I show them to justify my request? If you have a higher offer from another place, you can say that “I have received another generous offer and would like to know about the possibility for matching that offer.” Salary is not the only thing you can negotiate: office space, computer/laptop, sabbaticals, course release, etc. Again, be reasonable: if you think you are entitled to XYZ requests, you also have to show why.
What skills stand out on Assistant Professor Of Sociology resumes?
Lee Braver: Colleges and universities fall into different categories which value different skills and accomplishments. The most obvious division is between schools that emphasize research and those that pride themselves on their teaching. Research institutions are looking for scholars who can publish a lot in exclusive journals and presses, thereby enhancing their reputation. They are looking for evidence of research skills: publications, awards, letters of recommendation that praise the candidate's writing and thinking. Teaching schools, on the other hand, are looking for excellent teachers. In the buyer's market we now have, they can require high research ability as well, but some will actually be scared off by too much research. They will worry that the candidate will focus on their research instead of their teaching and that they will seek to leave as soon as they can. These schools are typically looking for teaching experience, high student evaluations, and letters that single out these qualities for praise, whereas research schools typically don't care a lot about these sorts of things. Thus, the qualities one type of institution values, the other can be apathetic towards or even avoid. Teaching schools far outnumber research schools, so there are far more jobs in the former than in the latter.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Assistant Professors Of Sociology?
Lee Braver: Well, a Ph.D. is necessary, although one can sometimes be hired within striking distance of it. The ability to teach so as to bring students to the major and get high student evaluations are often requirements at teaching schools while writing well enough to publish, often in journals with single-digit acceptance rates, is crucial to research schools. Comfort with technology is becoming more and more important.
What soft skills should all Assistant Professors Of Sociology possess?
Lee Braver: Soft skills are most important to working once one has gotten a job rather than important to getting a job since those are quite difficult to discern from applications and brief interviews. That is one of the reasons schools can be wary of hiring with tenure; a person could look great on paper but be a nightmare to work with, and you're stuck with them.
I believe that tenacity, organizational skills and time management, and the ability to work long hours are crucial to getting tenure and succeeding in academia more broadly, in some ways more important than raw intelligence (if such a notion is coherent). Failure and rejection are endemic to the job; anyone who gets discouraged easily will do so. One must persevere in the face of sometimes harsh criticism and hostile conditions (especially now that much of the country has turned against higher education and the humanities in particular), and one must be able to juggle multiple responsibilities that make considerable time demands. In this, the tenure track resembles other early-career positions, such as medical residency or working towards partnership in a law firm. The untenured often must do the scut work that no one else wants to do, made more difficult by the fact that they are frantically trying to learn on the job with little to no guidance. It is not at all unusual for early-career professors to teach 4 classes per semester, at least some of which are new and/or large, do all the grading for them, serve on multiple committees, and write for elusive publications, all at once.
What skills will help Assistant Professors Of Sociology earn the most?
Lee Braver: Let's see-an M.B.A., the ability to pick winning lottery numbers, being repelled by the humanities so that one goes into business-those would be pretty useful for making money. No one should go into academia for the money, not just not for wealth but even for a comfortable living, which is becoming more difficult to achieve in America in general. It is nearly impossible to make a living as an adjunct professor, which is where the profession is heading. There are many good-paying jobs, but those tend to congregate at the elite schools, the ones that emphasize research the most, and these are the fewest and hardest to get. Worse-paying jobs are also hard to come by, and the competition is just getting stiffer as more Ph.D.'s get dumped into the market each year which is itself accreting all those who did not land jobs in the previous years. At many institutions, raises are minimal since jobs are so hard to come by, and there's little else that rewards a humanities Ph.D. The only way to get a substantial raise is to get a credible offer from another institution and hope that yours wants to keep you enough to overbid them; otherwise, you're stuck, especially after getting tenure, and they know it. That's why tenure is called "golden handcuffs," though I think a better name might be something like velvet handcuffs, given gold's connotation of wealth.
What soft skills should all Assistant Professors Of Sociology possess?
Michael Strand: Compassion, empathy, curiosity.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Assistant Professors Of Sociology?
Michael Strand: Interview methods, observational techniques, ethnographic training, statistical analysis acumen.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Assistant Professors Of Sociology?
Lucy Parker-Barnes Ph.D.: Many graduates and undergraduates are impacted by the changes that COVID and the post-COVID vaccine world have had on the job market. Particularly, in the mental health field, our students have been impacted by an increase in the clients they need to serve while also being limited due to safety concerns. Additionally, our students endure common existential angst that other students are dealing with during COVID, including isolation due to being home, Zoom fatigue, and the existence of continued ambiguity due to the pandemic.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Assistant Professor Of Sociology job market given the pandemic?
Melinda Blackman Ph.D.: I think that organizations will see that for many positions that their employees can successfully work from home. Many organizations may give up their physical space and turn into virtual workplaces to save money.
What technical skills for an Assistant Professor Of Sociology stand out to employers?
Melinda Blackman Ph.D.: Statistical analysis skills are key for organizations that want to evaluate their productivity, the effectiveness of their training programs and look at trends within their company. Also survey development skills are another bonus to have as well as critical thinking skills.
Dr. Rebecca Tuxhorn
Instructor of SociologySoutheastern Louisiana University
Sociology Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Assistant Professors Of Sociology?
Dr. Rebecca Tuxhorn: I cannot see how there will not be an enduring impact of the pandemic on anyone, and especially graduates. The job market is in a bit of a flux with remote work in many jobs (among other changes happening) and I believe that will require even more flexibility and the need to focus on adaptability as we move forward. Graduates will want to emphasize their ability to work independently while remaining reliable and dependable, particularly for potential jobs where a 'boss' will not be ever-present in a physical space. If I were a graduate applying for jobs, I would want to highlight my experience that supports this. Due to the movement of so many aspects of work environments to online formats, graduates will also want to emphasize their tech-savvy strengths (and work on their tech weaknesses)!
What will help Assistant Professors Of Sociology increase their earning potential?
Dr. Rebecca Tuxhorn: I believe demonstrating the ability to be flexible, adaptable, and somewhat tech-savvy will be a real boost when competing for higher earnings. Communication skills are key as well, especially in the absence of face-to-face physical interaction in many workplaces. Be prompt in returning emails and other forms of communication, as that will indicate that you are responsive and paying attention. Overall, practice self-care as well to avoid burnout and a negative attitude. It's definitely a new balancing act to maintain, but networking with others can help. Be sure to 'plug-in' to positive networks and avoid the negative ones that can drain you.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Assistant Professors Of Sociology?
Whitney Wall Ph.D.: While we have all felt the impact of the pandemic and there will be many enduring impacts yet to be seen, I'm proud of our students' ability to remain on-track academically throughout this past year. Many had to adjust to online learning for the first time while caring for children and other family members and managing their own health and wellness. On top of all this, many of our students work full time. Despite these tremendous barriers, most of our students remained on-track with their degree plans. We've also been able to provide student struggling during the COVID pandemic with additional COVID-specific accommodations to limit the academic impacts. While some enduring impacts related to this year are inevitable, I think our students have demonstrated great resiliency! I also believe that there will be positive enduring outcomes that will come from this year: faculty have increased their knowledge of technical resources, students have become more familiar and confident with online learning (a growing trend prior to the pandemic), and we've certainly all been forced outside of our comfort zones which is where personal growth happens.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Assistant Professor Of Sociology job market given the pandemic?
Charity Perry Ph.D.: I think one of the most significant trends we will see continue will be the ability to work more remotely. An important issue that should be highlighted though, is the rate that women were forced to leave the job market in light of the pandemic. So much of the progress women have fought for seems to have been lost at a significant rate when compared to men. In the fall of 2020, nearly 900,000 women left the labor force, more than four times the rate of men who left the labor force. Women are still viewed as 'caretakers.' So, the duties to their care for family (i.e., young children at home, aging parents) rose to incredibly high levels, and could potentially set the gender equity back an entire generation due to the loss of supervision during school hours that were provided, and the economic security held by some families prior to the pandemic. This could have long-term consequences which include women re-entering the workforce in lower than desired numbers.
What soft skills should all Assistant Professors Of Sociology possess?
Charity Perry Ph.D.: The ability to thrive with others, Teamwork! To grow even more, an important skill that graduates should possess upon transitioning out of higher education, is empathy. Empathy is crucial to not only a person individually, but those around. One must be able to develop social behaviors that enrich their lives and the lives of individuals who interact together. Having empathy enables us to consider where another person is coming from (another's perspective), plays a role in the self-regulation of one's own behavior and emotions and being able to identify the emotions of others. Another soft skill that graduates should possess is work ethic. If an individual is not committed to their work, or their work doesn't engage them in any way, there's room for bad habits and laziness to appear. I am constantly reminding my students that I want them to choose a career that they love (not what their parents want them to do). It's so important to love what you do every day. If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life! Certainly, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are fairly crucial in any line of work, and lastly, the ability to communicate with others is paramount. Not just over Zoom, but face to face as well.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Assistant Professor Of Sociology job market given the pandemic?
Nancy Ann Hamilton: It is really too soon to tell. Prior to the pandemic there was a large gap between the workforce demand for PhD clinical psychologists (as well as mental health professionals), especially those who work in hospitals, and the number of PhD clinical psychologists being trained. There is little doubt that the pandemic has increased the number of people in need of mental health services. However, funding at all levels has been strained to the breaking point and sadly, mental health care is often treated as a luxury, rather than a necessity. So, it is difficult to know how the tension for need and funding will be resolved.
What technical skills for an Assistant Professor Of Sociology stand out to employers?
Cynthia Bott Ph.D.: Skills that are an asset include good communication skills, the ability to exercise cultural humility, a willingness to accept and utilize supervision, an ability to articulate their understanding of social and economic justice and how to implement the ideals in their work. Many will be working in interdisciplinary teams so the ability to get along with others and valuing good teamwork is essential. Those who are familiar and experienced with electronic service delivery may have a step-up over others for work delivered remotely.
What's a day at work look like for an Assistant Professor Of Sociology?
Christopher Was Ph.D.: For recent graduates, as well as those of us currently in the field, it is going to mean spending more time working at home, attending virtual meetings, and working with students remotely.
What technical skills for an Assistant Professor Of Sociology stand out to employers?
Christopher Was Ph.D.: The technical skills that will stand out are virtual/remote teaching skills and virtual/remoter research skills. Experience teaching online in platforms such as Blackboard and others will be seen as valuable by universities and colleges as more students demand online courses. Also, programming experiments for online platforms will also be highly valued. I am hopeful that university psychology laboratories will continue to reopen as we move out of the pandemic, but being able to reach research participants beyond of the undergraduate subject pool has broadened the generalizability of studies in experimental psychology.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Assistant Professor Of Sociology job market given the pandemic?
Christopher Was Ph.D.: It is my sense that this will largely depend on the setting in which our graduates find employment. Large universities are still struggling with maintaining social distance and other safety protocols in order to keep students, faculty, and staff safe and healthy. Smaller colleges are able to maintain face-to-face classes due to smaller class sizes. The greatest, and perhaps most enduring impact, is how we conduct research in experimental psychology. My laboratory has been closed since March of 2020 and all of data has been collecting via online platforms since then. New graduates with advanced degrees in experimental psychology will need to work in these virtual settings to succeed.
What type of skills will young Assistant Professors Of Sociology need?
Tillman W. Nechtman Ph.D.: When it comes to skills young graduates need, I will speak specifically to the field of History. It's always been the case that History Majors do well in the job market. Now, to be sure, there is the temptation to limit the scope of what jobs we imagine a historian can do. Career Service Offices sometimes think that History Majors teach, work in libraries, and archives, maybe a museum, and that is about it. The fact is that it's not uncommon to find CEO at Fortune 500 companies who were History Majors as undergraduates.
Presidents. Media personalities. Lawyers. Judges. You name it. History Majors are everywhere, and I think I know the reason. History Majors learn to take lots of data - and we're omnivorous about what we call data - and we synthesize it. We give it two frames. First, we weave it into a narrative form, a story, if you will. Second, we give that narrative analytical meaning. We offer a thesis or an argument about the content we're sharing. Those are vital skills. The ability to walk people through data and to help them understand your analysis of that material. What field wouldn't appreciate that set of capabilities? And, I think that explains why History Majors tend to do so well in a host of fields and professions. I don't foresee that that will change in the future.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Assistant Professors Of Sociology, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Graduates in Religious Studies don't necessarily go into careers in religion. The standard career path for those involved is going to graduate school, spending several years getting a Ph.D., and facing a tough job market. Starting salaries can vary widely depending on the college or university.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Assistant Professor Of Sociology job market given the pandemic?
John Porter Ph.D.: This will depend on what happens in the next six months or so. If the economy stays open and business can operate as it did a year ago, the trend will be more positive. When the economy is working, people are more financially secure. They have money to donate to foundations, and corporations have more profits to put into their funding resources.
If the economic shutdown increases where both businesses and individuals earn less money, there will be less money available for grant funding. The majority of grant funding comes from donations by everyday individuals.
If the economic shutdown is prolonged, then there will be an increase in government grant programs. The government gets its financial resources for things like grants by taxation. So individual taxes will likely increase.
Another line to balance is the excessive taxation of the rich. Nearly all very wealthy people have established a foundation where they give some of their wealth to grant awards to community non-profit organizations. When the government increases the taxes on this group, the excess money goes to the government to spend rather than local non-profits.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Assistant Professors Of Sociology in the next 3-5 years?
John Porter Ph.D.: There is not a lot of technology required in grant writing. The most critical and prevalent skill in grant writing, which is lacking, is appropriately writing. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in abbreviation and slang. When put into a standard text, these expressions can become confusing.
The technology is that younger, individual writers may like to stay up on the most recent software and communication methods. Whereas funders, private, corporate, and government, tend not to keep up as fast and have older software versions. This means that the newest and glitziest software may not be compatible with the funder's software when submitting grant proposals and applications.