Highest-paying Cities for Sociologists

The top 40 highest paying cities for sociologists (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of sociologists in those cities are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with a annual salary of $143,220, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts is the highest paying city for sociologists. It is followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California (average annual salary $138,110). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of sociologists in a specific city, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 40 Highest-paying cities/areas for Sociologists

Rank	City/Area	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts	$143,220	$80,540	90
2	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California	$138,110	$63,970	150
3	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	$133,350	$93,370	30
4	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California	$133,060	$75,040	40
5	Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, South Carolina	$128,530	$80,290	70
6	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California	$119,910	$79,160	170
7	San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California	$117,280	$84,080	80
8	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, West Virginia	$116,710	$59,920	170
9	Stockton, California	$116,310	$86,740	40
10	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania	$115,220	$66,310	40
11	Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, California	$108,780	$73,760	120
12	San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, California	$106,560	$66,690	190
13	Chicago-Joliet-Naperville (IL-IN-WI Area), Illinois	$106,480	$65,340	360
14	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California	$102,040	$33,880	270
15	Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina	$101,780	$61,410	150
16	New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, New York	$100,960	$74,840	280
17	Baltimore-Towson, Maryland	$99,340	$44,570	40
18	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, California	$96,760	$36,350	n/a
19	Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, California	$94,240	$62,580	200
20	Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts	$93,900	$59,650	120
21	Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California	$91,120	$72,030	50
22	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	$88,120	$57,170	40
23	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California	$85,980	$53,840	30
24	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, District of Columbia	$85,510	$63,300	160
25	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida	$80,810	$56,020	50
26	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington	$80,500	$62,400	140
27	Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Michigan	$79,000	$56,650	100
28	Columbus, Ohio	$74,280	$64,330	70
29	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, California	$73,620	$54,050	150
30	Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin	$71,330	$33,030	60
31	Salt Lake City, Utah	$69,710	$49,470	30
32	New York-White Plains-Wayne, New York	$69,310	$40,400	400
33	Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Washington	$66,280	$53,890	50
34	Chicago-Joliet-Naperville (IL Metropolitan Division), Illinois	$65,520	$44,550	80
35	Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington, Wisconsin	$64,670	$59,590	30
36	Ann Arbor, Michigan	$63,020	$51,560	40
37	Trenton-Ewing, New Jersey	$62,520	$48,840	50
38	Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, Arizona	$61,570	$48,870	40
39	Madison, Wisconsin	$50,400	$27,150	n/a
40	Lansing-East Lansing, Michigan	$49,580	$25,180	40

See also: 💰 Highest paying industries for sociologists.