SOC 19-3041 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Sociologists — Washington
Washington · 1 metro areas compared
In Washington the median wage is $97,170.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.6%
- Openings per year
- 300
- Typical entry-level education
- Master's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Washington.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Washington the median wage is $97,170. That is 8.4% lower than the national median of $106,030. Pay ranges from under $80,640 at the tenth percentile to more than $138,000 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $97,170 to $104,440.
The area has 130 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 2.57 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Washington ranks number 8th out of 11 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Seattle records the highest median at $97,170. Of the 757 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 215th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $80,640 | −23.9% |
| 25th | $97,170 | −8.4% |
| Median (50th) | $97,170 | −8.4% |
| 75th | $104,440 | −1.5% |
| 90th | $138,000 | +30.2% |
| Mean | $103,430 | −2.5% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Washington
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle | $97,170 | 90 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Washington run 7.0% above the national average, so the median of $97,170 buys what $90,813 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 14.4% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$97,170as reported by BLSLocal price level
107.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$90,813US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $97,170 a year, 8.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $80,640 to $138,000 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 130 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 8th of 11 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Seattle, at $97,170.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Sociologists in Washington?
The median annual wage is $97,170, or $46.72 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $106,030, so pay in Washington is 8.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Washington earns more than $138,000 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $80,640 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Seattle, at $97,170 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 130 jobs in this occupation in Washington. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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