What can I do with a sociology degree?

Many sociology graduates are drawn to working in areas such as law, health and education, as well as social and welfare professions. For some of these roles, further study is required in order to qualify. Sociology graduates who want to work in business may find that roles in marketing are a good match for their skills and interests.

This guide should help you think about the skills you have and graduate job roles that might suit you. You will also find out about employment rates for recent sociology graduates and the career areas they found work in, as well as the types of work that sociology students are interested in.

Skills for your CV

You will have gained the ability to do the following things:

• think and act creatively
• maintain a flexible mind
• read pages of text and pick out the essential points
• conduct research and evaluate sources with a healthy scepticism
• lead and participate in discussions
• develop opinions, propose ideas and theories
• maintain objectivity, particularly towards other people
• play devil’s advocate
• have confidence in your opinions
• base conclusions on statistical research.

Job roles and career areas you could work in

A sociologist’s ability to form and defend an argument, regardless of personal opinions, could be helpful for a career in marketing. Sociology graduates would also be well suited to jobs in the Civil Service and politics.

With further training or qualifications you could succeed in the following job roles:

• charities administrator
• Civil Service administrator
• health service manager
• human resources officer
• journalist
• marketing executive
• political party research officer
• public affairs consultant (lobbyist)
• retail manager
• secondary school teacher
• solicitor

What do sociology graduates go on to do?

Here’s what sociology graduates who finished their degrees in 2016 were doing six months after graduating, according to the What do graduates do? report published in 2017.

Destination	Percentage
Full-time employment in the UK	45.9
Part-time employment in the UK	15.3
Working overseas	1.3
Working and studying	7.1
Further study	20.0
Unemployed	5.7
Other	4.7

Source: What do graduates do? 2018

Key areas of employment for fresh sociology graduates

These are the top five areas of work taken up by 2017 sociology graduates six months after graduation, according to the 2018 What do graduates do? report.

Areas of employment	Percentage
Retail, catering, waiting and bar staff	21.6
Legal, social and welfare professionals	12.2
Clerical, secretarial and numerical clerks	11.6
Other occupations	9.7
Business, HR and finance professionals	10.4

Source: What do graduates do? 2018

Which careers attract sociology students?

Law (barristers) was the most popular career choice for students of social studies subjects, a group that includes sociology, identified by a 2020 survey of more than 71,000 undergraduates carried out by Cibyl (a research business owned by the same company as targetjobs). Just over a quarter ( 25.7% ) of social studies students who participated in the survey said they were interested in this area. The most popular careers for students of social studies were as follows:

Career	Percentage
Law – barristers	25.7% expressed an interest
Public sector/td>	25.4
Investment banking and investment	20.9
Banking, insurance and financial services	19
Consulting	16.3

Source: Graduate Survey 2020

What salaries can sociology, social policy and anthropology graduates earn?

Want to know what graduates in your degree discipline typically earn in different locations? The Pay Index has provided targetjobs with a handy graduate salary tool showing just that.

Famous people with sociology degrees

If none of those float your boat, or you’re starting to believe that ‘sociology degree = career in fast food’ cliché, then you might want to think about these sociology graduates:

• Michelle Obama – majored in sociology at Princeton University before she met her husband Barack Obama and became first lady of the US.
• James Blunt – the singer-songwriter has a degree from the University of Bristol.
• Ronald Reagan – the actor and former US president majored in sociology and economics.