Sociologists study society and social behavior through surveys, interviews, observation and data analysis. AI tools can code interview transcripts, clean survey data and draft literature reviews. Designing the study, earning trust from the people studied and deciding what the findings mean stay with the researcher.
The short answer: AI takes on parts of the analysis, not the research itself. The ILO's 2025 index rates sociologists, anthropologists and related professionals at gradient 2 with a score of 0.48. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4 percent growth for sociologists from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as average, with about 200 openings a year. It is a small occupation of about 2,700 jobs. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed sociologists are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Sociologists, Anthropologists and Related Professionals | Gradient 2 | 0.48 |
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Sociologists | Grow 4% | About 200 |
The BLS projects employment to grow from 2,700 jobs in 2025 to 2,800 in 2035. It notes that sociologists already use statistical analysis software to combine data from interviews, observations and other sources. Its outlook does not mention AI.
Where AI is helping
- Transcribing and coding interviews.
- Cleaning and analyzing survey data.
- Searching and summarizing published research.
- Drafting reports and grant text.
What stays with sociologists
- Study design: asking a question data can actually answer.
- Fieldwork: interviews and observation built on trust and consent.
- Ethics: protecting participants' privacy, including what goes into AI tools.
- Checking AI help: automated coding and summaries can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Data and software skills already matter in the field, and checking automated analysis against the raw material adds to them. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace economists?, will AI replace statisticians? and will AI replace market research analysts?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for sociologists at $106,030 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: master's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace sociologists?
Not on current data. The ILO puts sociologists in gradient 2, and the BLS projects 4 percent growth from 2025 to 2035.
How many sociologists are there?
The BLS counts about 2,700 sociologist jobs in 2025, projected to reach 2,800 in 2035.
How many openings are expected?
About 200 a year on average over the decade, according to the BLS.
What can AI do in social research?
Transcription, first-pass coding, data cleaning and drafting. Study design, fieldwork and interpretation stay with the researcher.