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How to become a Sociologist

Researches how society works and its many phenomena and trends, linking them to people's social actions, through fieldwork and analysis of documents and data.

Main tasks

How to become one

To become a sociologist, it is usual to graduate from a sociology-related department at university, then go on to a graduate school in sociology and learn the foundations of research in a master's and doctoral programme. Sociology covers a very wide range of subjects, so university departments have many names besides sociology, such as sociology of education, media studies and social policy, and it is important to find out from university websites and guidance for applicants what fields you can study. Some people find a topic that interests them after starting work and then enter graduate school to become researchers. As you move through the master's and doctoral programmes, you narrow down your specialist topic, write papers and build up conference presentations, and then usually apply for posts such as university lecturer or researcher at a research institute. Many research posts are fixed-term, so even after getting a job you need to keep building your record towards the next step, for example by producing enough research during the term to be given a permanent post, or by looking for another post that suits you better. Private research companies and think tanks sometimes hire undergraduates as well as graduate school leavers, and you can build practical research skills through the work. It is not essential for researchers, but there are qualifications you can gain on graduating from university or graduate school: Social Researcher (undergraduate level) and Professional Social Researcher (graduate level), certified by the Japan Association for Social Research. These are often valued if you work on surveys at a private research company. Sociology studies a society that is always changing, so you need an interest in and questions about people and society, and the observation and insight to capture change. You often do statistical analysis and process survey data, so knowledge of statistics and data handling skills are needed. Writing skills for reports and papers, and reading and language skills to follow and share research trends in Japan and abroad, are also important. The persistence to pursue your research topic over many years is another quality a researcher needs. Surveys involve many organisations, and you may need to seek support or funding to carry out research, so negotiating and coordinating skills matter too.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Sociologist?

To become a sociologist, it is usual to graduate from a sociology-related department at university, then go on to a graduate school in sociology and learn the foundations of research in a master's and doctoral programme. Sociology covers a very wide range of subjects, so university departments have many names besides sociology, such as sociology of education, media studies and social policy, and it is important to find out from university websites and guidance for applicants what fields you can study. Some people find a topic that interests them after starting work and then enter graduate school to become researchers. As you move through the master's and doctoral programmes, you narrow down your specialist topic, write papers and build up conference presentations, and then usually apply for posts such as university lecturer or researcher at a research institute. Many research posts are fixed-term, so even after getting a job you need to keep building your record towards the next step, for example by producing enough research during the term to be given a permanent post, or by looking for another post that suits you better. Private research companies and think tanks sometimes hire undergraduates as well as graduate school leavers, and you can build practical research skills through the work. It is not essential for researchers, but there are qualifications you can gain on graduating from university or graduate school: Social Researcher (undergraduate level) and Professional Social Researcher (graduate level), certified by the Japan Association for Social Research. These are often valued if you work on surveys at a private research company. Sociology studies a society that is always changing, so you need an interest in and questions about people and society, and the observation and insight to capture change. You often do statistical analysis and process survey data, so knowledge of statistics and data handling skills are needed. Writing skills for reports and papers, and reading and language skills to follow and share research trends in Japan and abroad, are also important. The persistence to pursue your research topic over many years is another quality a researcher needs. Surveys involve many organisations, and you may need to seek support or funding to carry out research, so negotiating and coordinating skills matter too.

How much does a Sociologist earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥8,020,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Researchers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Sociologist?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 95% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Sociologist?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026