Sociology
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Sociology occupation series (code 0184), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
Sociology is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 13 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family. At an average salary of $136,463 it pays above the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 18.8% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 13
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $136,463
- Avg tenure
- 16.1 yrs
FedScope read on Sociology (thin series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 13 people work in the Sociology occupation (OPM code 0184) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -18.8% from the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
The average salary for Sociology is $136,463 per year. Salaries moved down by 0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 16.1 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Code 01, the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family, is where the federal government classifies Sociology alongside 28 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Sociology postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family.
Inside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (29 occupations, 101,196 employees combined), Sociology holds the #27 spot by headcount, a 0.0% share of the family total.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Sociology pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$136,463
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+16.3%
Where Sociology ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $136,463 is higher than 79% of federal occupation series (429 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Sociology sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Sociology ranks higher than 79%.
Related Occupations in Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Insurance Administration | 24,044 | $105,855 | 17.7 yrs |
| Social Work | 22,339 | $112,147 | 10 yrs |
| Social Science | 13,513 | $109,039 | 11.8 yrs |
| Intelligence | 12,860 | n/a | 15 yrs |
| Psychology | 10,259 | $144,240 | 10.7 yrs |
| Economist | 3,774 | $158,425 | 14.1 yrs |
| Foreign Affairs | 2,748 | $155,920 | 14.4 yrs |
| Health Insurance Administration | 2,443 | $149,476 | 15.3 yrs |
| Social Science Aid and Technician | 1,534 | $67,632 | 12.4 yrs |
| Archeology | 1,448 | $91,675 | 12 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Sociology outside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (13 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($136,463 here).
Key takeaways
- Sociology pays above the federal average by 16.3% ($136,463 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 79th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 13 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 18.8% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Sociology ranks #624 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (29 occupations, 101,196 employees combined), Sociology holds the #27 spot by headcount, a 0.0% share of the family total.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.