The role of social scientists vary.  Different fields include: anthropologists, economists, geographers, historians, political scientists, psychologists, and sociologists.  Social scientists study and conduct research for many different areas of society.  A main role that social scientists is research.  Their research helps people gain understanding of what is going on in their society.  They gather facts that will be useful for human life.  Interviewing and taking surveys are common in their field; however, there is a lot of work that goes into collecting data, because working with people requires social scientists to be able to speak different languages, analyze documents, and conduct experiments in laboratories. 

        Working conditions consist of regular hours.  Many social scientists do a wide variety of tasks, such as teaching, conducting research and writing reports, and consulting.  Many work in office settings, while some do fieldwork.  Social scientists must deal with stress such as writing and meeting deadlines.

        Employment of social scientists has decreased.  In 1994, 259,000 individuals held jobs, and in 1998, 50,000 held jobs.  Social scientists are employed with the government, educational services, or consulting firms. 

        The educational requirement of social scientists consists of a PH.D. degree.  Those who have a master’s degree have better job opportunities.  With a bachelor’s degree, an individual can get an entry-level job, but do not obtain professional positions.  Besides needing a college education, social scientists must be creative, be able to think logically, and be mathematically skilled.                                                                   

      Annual income for social scientists vary.  In 1998, the annual income was $38, 990.  The lowest ten percent earned $21,530.  The middle fifty percent earned between $28,950 to $56,550, while the highest ten percent earned $80,640.  With a bachelor’s degree, social scientists can start at $20,600.  With a master’s degree, they can start at $31,200, and with a PH.D. degree, pay starts at $37,700.  The employment for social scientists will grow through 2008.  Growth of employment is more likely for individuals with advanced degrees.

Melanie Shire