Life As a Sociology Professor
Job Description: Teach courses in sociology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
A Day in the Life of a Sociology Professor
- Participate in campus and community events.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as race and ethnic relations, measurement and data collection, and workplace social relations.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
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Things a Sociology Professor Should Know How to Do
Below is a list of the skills most Sociology Professors say are important on the job.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
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.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Related Job Titles
- Instructor
- Anthropology Professor
- Humanities Professor
- Marriage and Family Teacher
- Department of Sociology Chair
Sociology Professor Employment Estimates
In the United States, there were 17,900 jobs for Sociology Professor in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,700 new jobs for Sociology Professor by 2026. There will be an estimated 1,600 positions for Sociology Professor per year.

The states with the most job growth for Sociology Professor are North Dakota, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Vermont, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Sociology Professor
The typical yearly salary for Sociology Professors is somewhere between $38,440 and $138,500.

Sociology Professors who work in District of Columbia, Rhode Island, or California, make the highest salaries.
How much do Sociology Professors make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $68,630 |
Arizona | $92,790 |
Arkansas | $93,550 |
California | $103,600 |
Colorado | $68,900 |
Connecticut | $82,570 |
Delaware | $81,740 |
District of Columbia | $146,220 |
Florida | $89,790 |
Georgia | $88,790 |
Illinois | $78,290 |
Indiana | $78,640 |
Iowa | $90,000 |
Kansas | $72,740 |
Kentucky | $70,790 |
Maine | $69,560 |
Maryland | $87,410 |
Massachusetts | $85,270 |
Michigan | $82,320 |
Minnesota | $81,490 |
Mississippi | $69,580 |
Missouri | $93,490 |
Montana | $51,920 |
Nebraska | $72,750 |
Nevada | $70,990 |
New Hampshire | $92,180 |
New Jersey | $94,620 |
New York | $90,250 |
North Carolina | $77,720 |
Ohio | $98,010 |
Oklahoma | $60,730 |
Oregon | $82,240 |
Pennsylvania | $80,290 |
Rhode Island | $116,720 |
South Carolina | $65,010 |
South Dakota | $65,340 |
Tennessee | $43,390 |
Texas | $82,580 |
Utah | $92,950 |
Virginia | $73,710 |
Washington | $72,020 |
West Virginia | $49,580 |
Wisconsin | $84,930 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Sociology Professors
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Sociology Professors:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Data entry software
- Email software
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- SAS
- Google Docs
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- R
- Blackboard
- StataCorp Stata
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Blackboard Learn
- Learning management system LMS
- iParadigms Turnitin
- Sakai CLE
Becoming a Sociology Professor
Are there Sociology Professors education requirements?

What work experience do I need to become a Sociology Professor?

Where do Sociology Professors Work?

Sociology Professors work in the following industries:

Related Careers
Those interested in being a Sociology Professor may also be interested in:
References:
Image Credit: Kontos via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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