What jobs can one get with a masters degree or PhD in sociology?

You need to look for a job before you graduate, and the process should start ideally speaking, at least a year ahead. This would give you an idea of the condition of the labour market as well as help in networking with people. Ph.Ds in Sociology can work in the following areas: Academia: Teaching and Researching in a college/university. Pay is good these days, irrespective of the country. Usually you need a post-doc experience to get into tenure-track positions, though I've seen some people completely skip this step based on their publications and their impact factor. A good practice is to teach full undergraduate courses as adjunct professors (or sessionals as they are called in Canada) in different universities, ideally... at least 2 years before you graduate. It gives you confidence, good test of teaching skills, adds on to your teaching repertoire in CV, and helps you in networking. From my experience, the pay is just slightly better than being a graduate student and peanuts compared to the amount of work you need to do (and how full profs are paid), but the networking experience is priceless. Sociologist: If you don't like teaching, and particularly when funding in academia runs low, you can work in particular research labs/academic institutions as a Sociologist, where you use your researching skills. I don't know where you are living at the moment. In case you're living in the U.S., the U.S. Bureau of labour statistics expects an above average growth rate (15%) in this area between 2012-2022. Pay is considerably good. I did my Ph.D from Canada, and several of my friends and seniors went  to work in Statistics Canada, just to give you an example. Policy Analyst: You work as a researcher in government institutions and deal with confidential (or not) government data, examine patterns and behaviours and try to find solutions. This area in the U.S. has an even higher expected growth than the previous category. I highly recommend going through this free pdf by American Sociological Association on the job search process: http://www.asanet.org/research/NewDoctorates.pdf. Good Luck!

I am a sociology major (undergrad) and I can tell you that it is not at all useless!  At least not in the start-up world.  Most people who flock to the start-up world are engineers, programmers, etc.  What many start-ups need now are market researchers among many other positions.  I think the great thing about a sociology degree is that it is so dynamic.  You can either work in government or you can work in/on a start-up.  Because sociology majors are trained to look at large groups from a highly unique and critical perspective, I think that sociology degree holders are at an advantage when it comes to finding jobs, especially in the business world.

I have Bachelor's and Master's degrees in sociology. I completed my Master's degree in a PhD program. I have always been interested in quantitative methods and my areas of interest for my Master's were research methods, criminology, and organizations. I also took classes in programming and did my Master's thesis on crime on Bulletin Board Systems (dial up chat rooms for those who have never experienced life without broadband). I have worked in research on health care, rape, domestic violence, and evolutionary psychology, including creating and conducting surveys,  analyzing large data sets, and helping organizations collect, organize and understand their data. I have taught computer technology classes. I was a factory automation engineer. I have taken classes on and implemented my education administering and scripting various operating systems. I am now a quality control engineer, which combines my technical and analytical interests. Sociology provides a good basis for understanding social science research and group dynamics. It can be applicable in research, teaching, and business. You can enhance your employability by taking additional classes or interning in your areas of interest. What you can do with your degrees depends more on your specialization and what you can do than your degrees.

In both Canada and the US, universities and colleges are pumping out too many PhDs in sociology for the academic job market. You should follow your passion, but be prepared to seek employment outside of academia, or spend a few years doing post-doctoral research.

Your most likely prospective job title would be: "Professor of Sociology." Except if your particular thesis and background provide you with some specialized area of knowledge in high demand but with limited experts in the field, sociology is not a particularly useful field of study. Your best bet is to cross-specialize in other areas, like medicine, economics, criminal justice, or some other similar high-demand occupation, so that your sociological training can be applied in that industry. Either way, you will be highly dependent upon academic grants and your institutional credibility in academia to make a living.

You can work in social research centers, community action groups, or teach (in some places). Unfortunately, you wont be able to lead many research projects, since that role often requires a PhD. Community action group work is extremely tenuous, but great for the true believers who put money way down the list of priorities. Sociology teaches you critical skills, but doesn't really arm you with much in the way of marketable skills. If you are good with data or stats, definitely pursue jobs that play up those angles. If you have other work experience, then Sociology can augment professional growth in those areas. Feel free to private message me if you want to discuss further.

Just a guess, but I would say applying for any entry-level job open to one holding an unspecified undergrad degree.

The sad news is that in the US, the job market for professors in most humanities fields and many social science fields (e.g., sociology) is dismal. Many people with PhDs from decent universities will never ever get a tenure track job. Because of this oversupply, I strongly encourage those considering a doctorate in the humanities or social science to only go if they receive full funding and a stipend. In other words, don’t pay for a PhD in the humanities or social science, and whatever you do never ever borrow money for this kind of doctorate. You will be in debt up the ying-yang for life.If you do pursue sociology and considering higher ed, then criminology seems to be the strongest concentration, since you have a better shot getting a job in a CJ program. Another track is to go the MSW route, since there is a professional option there, and maybe continue that path toward a doctorate. A final option would be to go for organizational behavior or organizational development, which are sorta/kinda like applied sociology, and typically offered in business departments. But if you go to grad school for business, look for a program accredited by AACSB.