13 Social Science Jobs (With Salaries and Primary Duties)

If you are interested in human interaction and how people relate to their surroundings, you may consider pursuing a social science degree. This degree program prepares students for employment in many fields, including politics, communications, marketing, business, and management. Knowing your career options might assist you in making a more strategic decision about your future employment.

In this article, we list 13 social science jobs for you to consider and explore the skills required for one.

13 social science jobs

Whatever social science degree you have, you can discover various social science jobs. From law enforcement to volunteering in your community, understanding your employment possibilities ensures that you make the best choice for your future. The following are 13 social science jobs, their national average salaries, and primary responsibilities:

1. Counsellor

National average salary: $41,812 per year

Primary duties: Mental health counsellors assist those suffering from mental health disorders such as depression, stress, trauma, and addiction. They often work with clients for an extended period to achieve psychological and emotional well-being. Counsellors find employment in various settings, including mental health facilities, hospitals, schools, jails, drug addiction treatment programs, and adolescent homes.

Some choose to engage in private practice and open their own clinics. They typically work full-time hours but sometimes work weekends and nights. While it can be rewarding employment, particularly for individuals who enjoy assisting others, it can also be quite demanding.

2. Teacher

National average salary: $36,399 per year

Primary duties: Teachers organize lessons and provide instructional materials for their students. They teach a particular topic or subject, conduct exams, provide homework, and grade assignments. Additionally, teachers monitor their pupils' academic achievements and prepare progress reports to document their success. They educate students in soft and hard skills, such as listening, time management, and technical knowledge.

Related: Social Skills: Definition and Examples

3. Intelligence analyst

National average salary: $73,329 per year

Primary duties: An intelligence analyst obtains, evaluates, and documents information that aids in the improvement of an organization's or institution's security processes. Typically, the particular requirements for an intelligence analyst differ according to the agency for which they work. Their tasks include monitoring technology and communication for security and data breaches, developing filtering systems that detect unsafe transmission and threats, and producing and disseminating reports that provide security recommendations.

4. Police officer

National average salary: $67,862 per year

Primary duties: Police officers are professionals sworn to protect and serve the public. They have the responsibility of preventing crime, apprehending and detaining offenders, settling conflicts, and safeguarding persons and property. Patrolling areas, reacting to crises and dispatch calls, and interrogating witnesses after crimes, emergencies, and occurrences are only some of their responsibilities.

5. Lawyer

National average salary: $94,149 per year

Primary duties: Lawyers help people with a broad range of legal concerns. These specialists collaborate with paralegals, investigators, police, and clients to build cases for mediations and trials, including preparing legal papers and evidence collection. Additionally, they're in charge of organizing and managing comprehensive depositions of case witnesses and specialists. They are responsible for interpreting laws, rules, and judgements for clients and advising them of their legal rights.

Related: 40 Jobs for People With a Sociology Degree

6. Librarian

National average salary: $62,249 per year

Primary duties: A librarian is an expert who helps others to locate necessary information and organizes massive volumes of digital and physical material. They may find employment in schools, colleges, universities, research institutes, public libraries, the government, or other information-related enterprises. A librarian often serves as a manager, supervising library staff members such as library technicians and assistants.

7. Social worker

National average salary: $64,134 per year

Primary duties: Social workers evaluate their clients' needs and assist them in overcoming challenges. They also refer them to the appropriate organizations and agencies that may help them further address their concerns. As a social worker, you may give counselling services and treat mental health disorders if you have the necessary credentials.

Related: What Are Social Workers? (With FAQs and Job Descriptions)

8. Registered nurse

National average salary: $81,516 per year

Primary duties: Registered nurses perform physical examinations, document a patient's medical history, administer medicine, and monitor patients to get a better understanding of their conditions. They also educate their patients about their treatment plans. A registered nurse may conduct physical examinations to assess health concerns, administer direct care to injured, sick, disabled, or recovering patients, and develop and enforce nursing care plans.

9. Public relations specialist

National average salary: $77,428 per year

Primary duties: Public relations is any action that a business engages in to increase brand recognition and establish a favourable public image. Public relations specialists are responsible for maintaining and improving a company's reputation. They write press releases, conduct public opinion surveys, manage ties with the media, organize press conferences and interviews, and track the effectiveness of all public relations operations.

10. Archaeologist

National average salary: $65,191 per year

Primary duties: Archaeologists are historians who have gained competence through their work with historical records and artifacts. They can help select possible dig sites, but they may also help interpret any items discovered during excavation. They then combine this information with current knowledge and historical facts to deduce the chronological period of the item.

Related: How to Become a Museum Curator (With Duties and Skills)

11. Urban planner

National average salary: $111,761 per year

Primary duties: Urban planners consult with communities to determine the most efficient use of their land and resources. For instance, they may provide recommendations on the placement of highways or schools. They also conduct inspections, read maps, meet with public authorities to discuss a city's land use, and suggest rejecting or accepting land-use proposals.

12. Human resource manager

National average salary: $75,739 per year

Primary duties: Human resource managers oversee a company's personnel, including other human resources professionals. They manage the recruitment process and handle staffing, compensation, and employee safety. This position often entails examining the number of employees in each department and the organizational hierarchy of the business. HR managers may then assess how effectively these components support the broader goal and objectives of the organization.

13. Investment analyst

National average salary: $68,054 per year

Primary duties: An investment analyst is a finance expert who creates and recommends investment strategies for clients or employers. These specialists devote substantial time studying and analyzing different funds and assets, including stocks, bonds, and commodities. They design financial models and predictions and provide their recommendations in reports and presentations using this data. Investment analysts work for various financial and securities-related organizations, such as banks, brokerage companies, and private equity firms. Some analysts specialize in a specific sector, geographic region, or asset class.

Skills for social science jobs

If you're interested in pursuing a social science profession, having the right skills can help you excel in your career. You can gain and improve your skills through your coursework or a relevant internship or work experience. Here are some skills you require to get a social science job:

• Analysis: When you pursue a social science degree, you have the opportunity to improve your analytical skills. This ability helps you examine data and information, draw conclusions from your findings, and make recommendations.

• Critical thinking: As social science often works to solve societal challenges, having strong critical thinking skills can help you analyze data and reach conclusions to address a wide variety of problems more efficiently. Having this skill can help in many industries and positions.

• Communication: No matter your social science career, it's necessary to have strong oral and written communication skills, allowing you to effectively interact with others throughout your workday.

• Research: As many social science careers involve research, it's essential to know how to perform a thorough investigation of the information you need. This consists in devising research questions, finding answers, and analyzing your findings.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at the time of writing. Salaries‌ ‌may‌ ‌‌vary‌‌ ‌depending‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌hiring‌ ‌organization‌ ‌and‌ ‌a‌ ‌candidate's‌ ‌experience,‌ ‌academic‌ background‌, ‌and‌ ‌location.‌