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Job outlook for youth specialists in the United States
Youth specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected youth specialist job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 52,400 new jobs for youth specialists are projected over the next decade.
Youth specialist salaries have increased 13% for youth specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 75,958 youth specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 71,303 active youth specialist job openings in the US.
The average youth specialist salary is $35,180.
Are youth specialist jobs in demand?
Youth Specialist job and salary trends over time
Youth Specialist jobs over time
Youth Specialist job growth rate over time
Year  | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 75,958 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 74,512 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 74,161 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 71,710 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 68,508 | 0.02% |
Average youth specialist salary over time
Youth Specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35,180 | $16.91 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $34,300 | $16.49 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $33,018 | $15.87 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $32,402 | $15.58 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $31,120 | $14.96 | +3.2% |
Youth Specialist jobs by state
Most common states for youth specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,154 | 31% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 175 | 25% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 153 | 21% |
| 4 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 295 | 15% |
| 5 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 110 | 15% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 865 | 14% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 759 | 14% |
| 8 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 193 | 14% |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 151 | 14% |
| 10 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 151 | 14% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 122 | 14% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 420 | 13% |
| 13 | Delaware | 961,939 | 127 | 13% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,498 | 12% |
| 15 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 681 | 12% |
| 16 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 206 | 12% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 164 | 12% |
| 18 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 799 | 11% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 408 | 11% |
| 20 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 326 | 11% |
Most common cities for youth specialists
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson | 3 | 9% | $28,577 |
| 2 | Lansing | 6 | 5% | $28,470 |
| 3 | Kalamazoo | 2 | 3% | $28,357 |
| 4 | Douglasville | 1 | 3% | $31,004 |
| 5 | Flint | 2 | 2% | $28,522 |
| 6 | Grand Rapids | 2 | 1% | $28,249 |
| 7 | Mobile | 2 | 1% | $30,593 |
| 8 | Bridgeport | 1 | 1% | $42,553 |
| 9 | Carson | 1 | 1% | $41,133 |
| 10 | Columbus | 1 | 1% | $31,343 |
| 11 | Atlanta | 2 | 0% | $31,036 |
| 12 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $28,627 |
Youth Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of youth specialist experts
Tiffin University
University of New Orleans
Assumption University
Concordia University Irvine
Nicholls State University
Presbyterian College
Augsburg University
The George Washington University
University of Indianapolis
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Lancaster Bible College
East Tennessee State University
Kentucky Christian University
University of Alabama
Neumann University
Old Dominion University
University of Wisconsin UW Milwaukee
Lewis University
Northern Michigan University
What will help Youth Specialists increase their earning potential?
Emily Yowell Ph.D.: Psychologists should be aware of what others in their field are making for similar positions. It is important to ask for what your work is worth in an initial position to assure raises are based on a solid starting salary. Newer psychologists may also consider asking for an early review that prompts an early conversation around potential raises, bonus, or other job benefits.
Jonathan Appel Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, Counseling & Criminal JusticeTiffin University
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences
What will help Youth Specialists increase their earning potential?
Jonathan Appel Ph.D.: Mixing unusual majors and minors-to stand out in the crowd often can help student marketability. For example I recently have been working with a psychology student to establish a business minor. This can prepare the student work in human resource management as well as the human service field.
Obtaining an advanced graduate degree often helps.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Youth Specialists?
Christopher Todd Belser Ph.D.: 100 percent, yes. The coronavirus pandemic has greatly impacted the training experiences that emerging graduates have received, especially those who have been working at practicum and internship sites in 2020 and 2021. Many students had to navigate school site closures and pivots to online learning both in their K-12 field site and their graduate coursework. On one hand, this has likely limited some of the experiences they were able to gain as a graduate student, and on the other hand, it forced them to become acquainted with new technologies and new real-world crises while working under a supportive network of university and site supervisors. In addition to the direct impacts on the graduates themselves, the coronavirus pandemic has also sparked conversations about what role school counselors will play in responding to student needs as we move toward a new normal. The events of 2020, including both the coronavirus pandemic and racial justice efforts, will likely be watershed moments for the current generations of K-12 students, and the impacts will be both immediate and long-term. School counselors will need to dive head first into helping K-12 students work through grief/loss, fears and anxieties, academic challenges, motivation loss, career and postsecondary concerns, and a myriad of other issues related to reintegrating into on-site school environments. And as K-12 employees whose identity bridges education and mental health, there will be a great need for school counselors to act as leaders, advocates, collaborators, and change agents in response efforts that are equitable and systems-oriented.
What's a day at work look like for a Youth Specialist?
Christopher Todd Belser Ph.D.: I'm not sure there was a "typical day" before COVID-19 for school counselors and I don't think there will be after. Because the pandemic is ongoing, graduates going immediately into school settings may still need to be prepared for environments that are virtual at least to some degree. Even if schools are moving more toward on-site learning, some element of virtual learning will likely still be in place, and if there is an unfortunate need to return to virtual learning, school counselors will need to be prepared to organize their work in that way. More concretely, day-to-day tasks will involve checking-in with specific students, making referrals for long-term mental health care, going into classrooms to deliver counseling-related lessons, conducting small group interventions, meeting with parents and teachers, etc. And because of the magnitude of the COVID-19 impact, school counselors will need to avoid the trap of "random acts of guidance" and be prepared to gathering universal data on student needs and delivering multi-tiered services to students in response to these needs.
What will help Youth Specialists increase their earning potential?
Christopher Todd Belser Ph.D.: In many states and districts, school counselor salaries are based on a set pay scale, so earning potential is more tied to getting a school counseling job and keeping that job. New graduates often face the dreaded critique of lacking work experience as compared to more seasoned job candidates. However, newer graduates are also more likely to have been trained to design and deliver multi-tiered interventions and more trained on how to utilize school data to drive school counseling programming. Job candidates looking to stand out will need to be able to concretely discuss how their training will help solve issues that the school is facing, which does involve doing a bit of research on the school to which one is applying. Additionally, graduates need to recognize the importance of ongoing professional development--trainings, workshops, and certifications that equip school counselors to address unique circumstances of the school can only increase a person's effectiveness and longevity as a school counselor. Although grants and other external funding typically don't increase salaries for school counselors, these funding opportunities can help purchase evidence-based programs, support interventions, and buy other necessary materials that can make a school counselor's work a little bit easier. Lastly, school counselors can consider pursuing a doctorate degree in a related field (e.g., counselor education and supervision, educational leadership) to enhance their skills and expertise, open doors for new work opportunities and promotions, and possibly move them up on a pay scale.
Susan Scully-Hill Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies and Director of the School Counseling program at Assumption UniversityAssumption University
Department of Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Youth Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Susan Scully-Hill Ph.D.: What I am seeing now is that schools are increasing the number of "school support personnel" by hiring additional school counselors, school adjustment counselors, learning coaches, student engagement officers, instructional aides, and para-professionals. Student engagement in remote learning is, overall, very low and schools are seeing more students failing multiple subjects than they have ever before. Currently schools are working hard to increase student engagement and academic outcomes by increasing support personnel. I think this trend will continue even as students transition back to in-person learning. Transitioning back to in- person learning will create challenges for many students-not just academic challenges but social, and emotional as well. Making up for lost classroom and learning time will be a priority and therefore additional school personnel will be required.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Youth Specialists?
Susan Scully-Hill Ph.D.: -Being licensed as a school counselor and/or a school adjustment counselor will have the biggest impact on our graduates. Licensed counselors will be sought after to fill student support personnel positions.
-Coursework focused on academic, learning, social, emotional, and behavioral interventions will be essential for counselors who wish to work in the schools and have a positive impact on student learning outcomes.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Youth Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Michael Eschelbach Ph.D.: Any and every job that is either unaffected by a pandemic (essential workers) or jobs that flourish because of the pandemic; delivery people and methods, producers of packaging; disposable products, plexiglass production, and fabrication; whatever can provide people with as many choices as possible that can be delivered to their home.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Youth Specialists?
Michael Eschelbach Ph.D.: Medically related, including counseling. Apart from Covid, certifications/licenses/courses that are in demand; health care always but also in the trades.
What's a good job out of college for Youth Specialists?
Michael Eschelbach Ph.D.: A good job out of college is any job, some might argue. A better job would be one that employs what you studied in college because it asks you to do what you prepared to do. A still better job is one that offers the opportunity to use the whole college experience in problem-solving, creativity, interpersonal relationships - learning, thinking, and communication skills that allow you to see an opportunity, be inspired by it, and pursue it.
Dr. Stephanie Baran
Instructor, SociologyNicholls State University
Social Sciences Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Youth Specialists?
Dr. Stephanie Baran: I think there will be an impact, but I don't necessarily think graduates in the social sciences will find an issue getting jobs. If anything, at least what I've seen from my students is that they are resilient and are flexible to the changes that occur around them. So, the impact that the coronavirus had on graduates showed them ways they could innovate and be responsive to changes. I think those qualities are desirable for post-graduate work.
I also don't necessarily think sociology will "change"-the social impact of the coronavirus-how it continues to affect groups in varying intersections of race, class and gender are all the main threads of sociological inquiry. Students may find more opportunities post-graduation in organizations that address social stressors-like the impact on mental health services, social services and how the pandemic disparately impacted women, women of color, BIPOC and marginalized groups in different ways and how society directly feels the impact from inaction from governmental structures.
What type of skills will young Youth Specialists need?
Dr. Stephanie Baran: I do not believe this has changed much-aside from the increase of distance learning. I know that in my teaching experience, the things students learn in class are directly relatable to their future endeavors. Sociology teaches its majors, minors and (other students simply taking the course for credit) how different social structures impact different lives, differently. Therefore, being able to be proactive, assess situations, understand different relationships are all still important. I think a skill we can as instructors instill in students is simply asking for help and knowing who to talk to/reaching out to others is imperative to mental health. I think employers are the ones that need to shift and provide access to different work/life balance resources, versus the graduate always being on alert.
What experience really stands out on Youth Specialist resumes?
Dr. Stephanie Baran: For recently graduated students, or students about to graduate, because they may not have a lot of work experience, it is helpful to use the work they completed in their different courses, emphasizing their ability to think through complex issues, showing the ability to navigate/be flexible then things quickly change. They can also use some of the skills acquired from the pandemic-like more online/computer skills, which may be helpful to their coworkers.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Youth Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Carla Alphonso: I expect more remote work options and also more jobs opening in health care and social services. Not only due to the pandemic but to the aging of the babyboomers. We will see a greater need for medical social workers, hospital administration, and non-profit administration (and especially in the nursing home/assisted living sector). Contact tracing and research on human social behaviors during the pandemic will continue to be important.
What skills stand out on Youth Specialist resumes?
Dr. Carla Alphonso: Skills involving data collection and analysis remain important, and are one of the qualities that help sociology majors to stand out compared to their peers. Communication skills, especially strong writing skills but also confident, effective public speaking, are helpful in today's job market. Sociology students are also well-positioned in terms of problem solving and critical thinking skills. Many jobs that our students enter need applicants who are solutions-focused, and sociology helps students in that area.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Youth Specialists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Carla Alphonso: Sociology students can easily find work wherever there are people and wherever there are social problems. In other words, just about anywhere! Again, due to the aging of the babyboom generation, I would recommend areas that have large proportions of elderly including Florida, Maine, and West Virginia. More jobs may be available in urban areas, but there are needs for workers with sociology skills in rural areas, too. More social services and non-profits are located in urban areas and especially in/around state capitals.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Youth Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Christina Erickson Ph.D.: The market for social workers has remained high for several years. Social workers have become an important component of most health care settings and the pandemic has only increased this reality. I don't anticipate any shortages in medical social work in the years to come, only growth. Medical social work is particularly interesting for people who care about the connection between physical and mental health, like the idea of working in a health care setting, and appreciate a fast paced environment. However, the pandemic will likely impact other social workers, too. School social workers will likely assist in addressing back to school issues for families, and certainly social workers who care for elders, and those who assist with death and dying. Because social workers are found in so many different sectors of society, much of their work will be impacted by the pandemic.
What Youth Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Christina Erickson Ph.D.: Gap years are welcome for students. Generally, I see a great deal of maturity as students move through the four years of college and this is necessary to prepare them for the demands of being a professional social worker. A gap year often increases the maturity level of students and can provide rich experiences that prepare them for college. A good gap year for a social work student includes human interactions that require students to work across human differences. That difference can be in a variety of forms, age, culture, gender, faith tradition, experiences, or even ways of thinking. What matters most is the student's ability to describe their own growth as they worked across those differences. Not about how other people changed because of their interaction, but how they changed to meet their goals and learn from others. Experience solving problems is helpful, too. Even learning how to take the first steps to deal with a challenge and being able to describe the steps, grows critical thinking and evaluation skills important for the most successful social work practitioners.
What general advice would you give to a Youth Specialist?
Christina Erickson Ph.D.: First, don't be afraid of informational interviews. You'll find social workers in many parts of society, and many of them will love to talk about their experiences. Draft up a few questions, three will suffice, and interview someone to see if the kind of work they do interests you.
Second, peruse the website of the National Association of Social Workers. As the professional organization for social workers, they house enormous amounts of information about careers, education, requirements for continuing education, and give you a sense of the direction social work is headed as a profession. Find out if you are comfortable with their information and how they discuss the profession and the future they suggest.
Finally, social work is a licensed profession, like teaching, nursing, law or medicine. Make sure you want to enter a profession in which you are required to be licensed by passing a test, follow a code of ethics, and commit to continuing education to maintain your license over many years. In most states there is a governing body that manages licensing. Look up the name of your state, the word license, and social work to learn more about what that would entail where you hope to work.
What experience really stands out on Youth Specialist resumes?
Dr. Mary DeRaedt: Resumes will need to demonstrate knowledge and training in trauma informed schools approaches, experience with both in person and virtual student engagement, and demonstration of knowledge and skills with underserved, minority and at risk populations. Demonstrating a commitment to continued growth and learning by having sought out specialized training will also help an applicant stand out when applying for a position.
Dr. Charla Davis
Assistant Professor & Director of Clinical TrainingUniversity of Indianapolis
College of Applied Behavioral Sciences-Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology
What type of skills will young Youth Specialists need?
Dr. Charla Davis: Young graduates need to feel comfortable asking for assistance and guidance from more senior clinicians. I know this can be challenging for students to seek out help from senior clinician, but this is imperative to help prevent mistakes, as well as gain wisdom from that is not necessarily taught in the classroom and is gained by continued work in the field.
What experience really stands out on Youth Specialist resumes?
Dr. Charla Davis: All practicum experiences really stand out and will tell a future employer the exact experiences the student has had and that is why it is important to keep a well-documented curriculum vitae rather than a resume.
Dr. Susan Reay
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Nebraska at Omaha
Grace Abbott School of Social Work
What general advice would you give to a Youth Specialist?
Dr. Susan Reay: It is essential for graduating seniors to develop a lifespan career plan that includes identifying experiences they want, ones they might want to seek out, and the identification of ones they are not interested in exploring. Central to the plan is obtaining quality supervision. I tell all my graduating seniors that no matter what job you take, make sure that you have a quality supervisor. Start looking for mentors and people you can trust. Keep those folks close to you and hold on to them over the life of your career.
Melissa Boas
Director of Professional School Counseling, Assistant ProfessorLancaster Bible College
Counseling & Social Work Department
What Youth Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Melissa Boas: I believe the most important skill to enhance if taking a gap year is self-awareness. Understanding oneself and why and how self-awareness directly relates to future career decision making is instrumental in ensuring the right decisions are made. Self-awareness is extremely beneficial in all areas of life not just in choosing a career pathway.
Jamie Brown Ph.D.
ProfessorEast Tennessee State University
Department of Counseling and Human Services
What experience really stands out on Youth Specialist resumes?
Jamie Brown Ph.D.: Community involvement and activism can set a potential candidate apart from other applicants.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Youth Specialists?
Jamie Brown Ph.D.: We know that many of our graduates are drawn to the field of Human Services due to the issues they have faced in their own lives. We have seen an uptick in students sharing the fact they have struggled with Adverse Childhood Experiences during our remote teaching and advising. We need to be aware of Trauma-Informed teaching and outreach as a program and as a university.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Youth Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Rob O'Lynn: In terms of the ministry job market, it has always been a tricky market to navigate. There are still more candidates than there are positions. Also, over the last couple of decades, the number of full-time jobs in ministry have decreased. Now, many congregations can only afford a part-time minister or rely on a heavy cadre of volunteers. Yet, there are also congregations across the country that are growing -- some at phenomenal rates.
These congregations employ a vast array of full-time and part-time ministers and support staff persons. I think most ministry positions in a post-pandemic society will continue to trend toward positions at mostly smaller congregations, and then primarily part-time. This will require many ministers to seek bi-vocational employment, something that many associates, youth and worship ministers (and academics, like myself) have been relying on for several years.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Youth Specialists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Rob O'Lynn: Technology has long been a friend to the Church, as everything from the Roman roadways to the Guttenburg printing press to the internet has helped spread the gospel. I do not see this trend going away anytime soon. If the pandemic has taught the Church anything, it is that the Church must adapt to technology. Many ministers are familiar with applications like Sermonary, Evernote, or Notebird. However, we have used those apps for personal preparation. We will need to turn more outward. We have lived in a post-website society for nearly a decade. No website means no traffic. However, Facebook replaced websites a few years ago -- which means that ministers must use social media, like Instagram and Facebook, both appropriately and effectively.
Additionally, websites are still needed -- and much easier to manage, thanks to servers like WordPress. Also, live streaming worship services and Bible studies are the future. There is mounting research that indicates that being online is the more sure way to maintain a connection with members -- and the broader community -- during the pandemic. Knowing how to use Facebook Live, YouTube Live, or a streaming website application could be the difference between closing for good and staying open during and following the pandemic.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Youth Specialists in the next 5 years?
Dr. Rob O'Lynn: I do believe the demand for ministers will continue to exist over the next five years. Ministers resign or retire every week. Positions remain open for months, even years, despite saturated candidate pools. As the landscape of religion in America continues to evolve post-pandemic, I think we will see a surge in ministry work, as has often happened throughout the Church's history. As older, declining congregations close, newer congregations will assume those properties and establish new plants that will need ministers to serve them. Communities that survive the pandemic and continue carrying on will still need ministers to help them. Larger and growing congregations are always looking for new staff to add to various ministry departments or affiliated campuses. Also, remember parachurch organizations, like campus ministry programs, chaplaincy departments, Christian camps, and higher religious education.
What type of skills will young Youth Specialists need?
Dr. Millie Dawson-Hardy Ph.D.: As a school counselor and with what I have seen this year and last, I would say the #1 requirement is the ability to be flexible, #2 be able to multi-task, and #3 take care of yourself well as your students. These are some of the very same characteristics I saw listed in books back in the 80s when I was getting my MEd in school counseling, but interesting, they are just as pertinent in the current situation. Specifically, knowing about eLearning and how to help students with the challenges of communication in eLearning and finally experience what anxiety looks like in school-age people and how to share coping skills with these students.
What type of skills will young Youth Specialists need?
Suzanne Mayer Ph.D.: It is true, as the pandemic has made increasingly clear, that skills in communicating in a virtual world are needed to provide the platform for telemental health. However, the necessary skills of the caring counselor are still foundational: so, ethical decision making, genuine respect for each person's dignity, solid training, and mentoring. The early theory builders were not wrong that healing occurs in and through what happens in the relationship, so training individuals in the characteristics and capacity that lay the groundwork continues in the current workplace.
How do you envision technology impacting Youth Specialists in the next 5 years?
Suzanne Mayer Ph.D.: As is evident from my previous answers, the need to reach out to persons with technology needs will be made increasingly more available and affordable. Then, it remains for the young, bright, dedicated grads to go and get trained to reach whoever is the most in need -- burnt-out veterans, addiction clients who are almost at the point of giving up, overlooked and underserved populations who do not believe anyone can or will help and, most significantly, young people in pockets of turmoil, crime and decay.
What Youth Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Emily Goodman-Scott Ph.D.: Getting experience working/volunteering in schools, and other capacities working/volunteering with youth: learn the culture of education, build rapport and be in relationship with youth and their families.
How do you envision technology impacting Youth Specialists in the next 5 years?
Jeanne Wagner: The pandemic has forced social services to engage in technology in a way that was not predicted; however, I believe that some of these technologies will become the norm for years to come, especially as clients become more comfortable in a virtual world. Technology is not a perfect substitute for traditional social work services, but it can supplement, when needed, to ensure that clients receive services.
What type of skills will young Youth Specialists need?
Dr. Keith Lavine Ph.D.: Probably the best place to start is to look at the latest competency model developed by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Below is the link to the webpage where individuals can learn more about the different competencies. Their model gets updated every few years, so it always reflects the latest thinking on what is essential for HR professionals in the field.
LearningAndCareer
Of all of the SHRM competencies, the one that is perhaps most noteworthy because of its increasing importance in the coming years is Global and Cultural Effectiveness. This is partly due to the changing demographics of the U.S. workforce, the growing use of teams in organizations, and the economy's continued globalization. More and more organizations recognize the importance and advantage of being diverse, inclusive, and culturally savvy. Not only will HR professionals be expected to be competent in these areas, like everyone else, but they will be increasingly tasked with helping organizations develop these competencies in their workforce.
I also think that adaptability will be a crucial competency for young graduates to possess as they enter the workforce in the coming years. Adaptability is one of the sub-areas of Global and Cultural Effectiveness. But I'm thinking of it in an even broader sense. With globalization and rapidly-developing technology, organizations face constant change, requiring all of us to adapt to the change continually. Fortunately, many new graduates are accustomed to this and don't know anything different, as this has been an increasing trend over the last 25 years. Also, this recent pandemic has required most of us to adapt in a big way.
Yan Ciupak Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorNorthern Michigan University
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Youth Specialists in the next 5 years?
Yan Ciupak Ph.D.: Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' report in September 2019, sociologists' employment is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations. The median annual wage for sociologists was $83,420 in May 2019, and most Sociologists held a Masters's or Ph.D. Although few careers include "sociologist" in their title at the Bachelor's level, the sociological studies are excellent preparation for a wide variety of occupations. A Bachelor's degree in sociology is a perfect springboard for entering the world of business, industry, and organizations. Students with a BA in Sociology pursue careers in social services, higher education, human resources, policy or market analysis or government or nonprofit research, or apply to graduate school to pursue advanced degrees.
As your questions indicate, the 21st-century labor market is fast-changing, increasingly global, and technology-driven. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) identifies eight Career Readiness Competencies and, based on the essential need in the Job Outlook surveys, the top four competencies have remained consistent the past three years: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving, Teamwork/Collaboration, Professionalism/Work Ethic, and Oral/Written Communications. Sociology is uniquely suited to help students develop these skills.