Sociologists pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $88,630 a year or less, while the top 10% make $165,830 or more. The middle half of sociologists in San Francisco earn between $114,790 and $138,710.
- $89K10th
- $115K25th
- $135KMedian
- $139K75th
- $166K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $131,480 | $10,957 | $63.21 |
| Median | $134,770 | $11,231 | $64.79 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $114,790 | $9,566 | $55.19 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $138,710 | $11,559 | $66.69 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Sociologists salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $131,480, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $92,997 a year, or $7,750 a month and $3,577 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Francisco a good place for sociologists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $131,480 buys what about $113,724 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 8.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Sociologists salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 1st of 4 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- San Francisco$131,480
- Los Angeles$125,220
- Riverside$124,360
- Stockton$120,950
Highest-paying cities for sociologists
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($131,480).
- San Francisco, CA$131,480
- Durham, NC$129,900
- Los Angeles, CA$125,220
- Riverside, CA$124,360
- Boston, MA$123,880
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Sociologists salary in San Francisco: questions
How much do sociologists make an hour in San Francisco?
$63.21 an hour on average, and $64.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level sociologists salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $88,630 a year and the 25th percentile is $114,790, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the sociologists take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $92,997 a year ($7,750 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $131,480. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do sociologists earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 16% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($113,040).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-3041; area San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 3.29, this job is 3.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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