Occupation overview

Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for sociology teachers, postsecondary is $84,290, or — per hour. About 11,850 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $127,680 in California to $61,260 in Kentucky.

Median annual

$84,290

Median hourly

—

Entry level (P10)

$49,930

Top 10% (P90)

$160,140

Employment

11,850

States covered

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile

$49,930

$64,990

$84,290

$110,650

$49,930$84,290$160,140

Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $84,290.

Salary by state

All 46 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#	State	Median annual	Median hourly	Employment	Location quotient
1	California	$127,680	—	810	0.59
2	Delaware	$123,710	—	—	—
3	New Hampshire	$112,890	—	40	0.79
4	District of Columbia	$103,160	—	70	1.28
5	Michigan	$102,870	—	370	1.11
6	Oregon	$101,960	—	150	1.03
7	Connecticut	$101,490	—	320	2.48
8	Pennsylvania	$99,660	—	440	0.95
9	Utah	$99,350	—	70	0.51
10	New York	$97,540	—	1,130	1.53
11	Massachusetts	$96,790	—	580	2.10
12	Maryland	$95,980	—	200	0.95
13	Vermont	$87,620	—	40	1.78
14	Nevada	$87,480	—	100	0.82
15	Minnesota	$87,340	—	240	1.06
16	Wisconsin	$84,960	—	450	1.99
17	Georgia	$84,330	—	230	0.63
18	Idaho	$84,140	—	50	0.74
19	Louisiana	$83,700	—	80	0.55
20	Washington	$83,140	—	200	0.72
21	Illinois	$82,610	—	440	0.94
22	Iowa	$81,910	—	140	1.21
23	Texas	$81,220	—	1,040	0.97
24	Indiana	$79,880	—	290	1.17
25	Ohio	$79,690	—	550	1.31
26	Kansas	$78,630	—	110	0.99
27	Colorado	$78,630	—	220	1.01
28	Arizona	$78,430	—	230	0.94
29	South Carolina	$78,410	—	120	0.68
30	New Jersey	$78,350	—	550	1.68
31	Virginia	$78,120	—	400	1.29
32	Missouri	$77,800	—	100	0.44
33	New Mexico	$77,740	—	50	0.74
34	West Virginia	$77,380	—	60	1.16
35	Tennessee	$77,370	—	190	0.76
36	North Carolina	$76,430	—	550	1.45
37	Nebraska	$76,230	—	70	0.91
38	Maine	$76,010	—	80	1.68
39	Montana	$75,880	—	30	0.82
40	Alabama	$73,670	—	210	1.30
41	Mississippi	$70,860	—	90	1.04
42	Oklahoma	$64,900	—	120	0.89
43	South Dakota	$64,210	—	40	1.27
44	Florida	$63,470	—	230	0.31
45	Arkansas	$62,390	—	30	0.32
46	Kentucky	$61,260	—	150	0.98

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970 Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370 Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670 Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140

Frequently asked questions

How much do sociology teachers, postsecondary make?

The median annual wage for sociology teachers, postsecondary in the United States is $84,290, or — per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $49,930, and the top 10% earn $160,140.

How many sociology teachers, postsecondary are employed in the U.S.?

About 11,850 people work as sociology teachers, postsecondary nationwide.

Which state pays sociology teachers, postsecondary the most?

California pays the most at a median of $127,680, followed by Delaware ($123,710) and New Hampshire ($112,890).

Which state pays sociology teachers, postsecondary the least?

Kentucky has the lowest median at $61,260.

Where are sociology teachers, postsecondary jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Connecticut at 2.48×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes