How to become a social and humanities scientist
Official title: Social and humanities scientists
Also called: Social scientist, Social researcher, Political scientist, Social survey officer, Behavioural scientist, Senior social survey officer, Assistant social survey officer, Principal social survey officer, Gis manager, Gis officer, Gis consultant, Research worker
Social and humanities scientists study and analyse human behaviour and the origin, structure and characteristics of language undertake research in areas such as sociology, economics, politics, archaeology, history, philosophy, literature, the arts organise the collection of qualitative and quantitative information and perform subsequent analyses.
Main tasks
- Studies society and the manner in which people behave and impact upon the world
- Undertakes research across the humanities that furthers understanding of human culture and creativity
- Traces the evolution of word and language forms, compares grammatical structures and analyses the relationships between ancient, parent and modern languages
- Identifies, compiles and analyses economic, demographic, legal, political, social and other data to address research objectives
- Administers questionnaires, carries out interviews, organises focus groups and implements other social research tools
- Undertakes analyses of data, presents results of research to sponsors, the media and other interested organisations
- Addresses conferences and publishes articles detailing the methodology and results of research undertaken
How to become one
Entry is most common with a degree or equivalent qualification but is possible with other academic qualifications and/or relevant experience. Postgraduate qualifications may be required for some jobs.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship (England): Archaeological specialist (degree) (level 7). England. Typically 36 months. Skills England standard ST0769.
- Apprenticeship (England): Archaeological technician (level 3). England. Typically 12 months. Skills England standard ST0221.
- Apprenticeship (England): Public health practitioner - integrated degree (level 6). England. Typically 36 months. Skills England standard ST0631.
- University: Science degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £39,899 a year The middle half earn £29,963 to null.
- About 42,300 people work in this job now, and about 47,000 are projected by 2035. (+11.1%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a social and humanities scientist?
Entry is most common with a degree or equivalent qualification but is possible with other academic qualifications and/or relevant experience. Postgraduate qualifications may be required for some jobs.
How much does a social and humanities scientist earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £39,899 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a social and humanities scientist a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 11% by 2035, from about 42,300 to about 47,000 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a social and humanities scientist?
Usually. 90% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.