Other Social Science Professionals

(NOC 4169)

in All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

This group includes a wide range of researchers and consultants in the social sciences like anthropologists, archaeologists, geographers, historians, linguists, political scientists, sociologists, and other professional jobs in social science. They work for universities and throughout the public and private sectors. Specialization usually exists within each of these jobs.

Job Outlook

Average

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  • Estimate change in employment not available for this occupation.
  • Estimate 0 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for this occupation.

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

  • Estimate 1830 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 5515 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$18.28

Minimum

$32.76

Median

$49.13

Maximum

Annual Pay

$2,683

Minimum

$39,968

Median

$84,945

Maximum

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

Hourly Pay

$16.30

Minimum

$30.00

Median

$51.30

Maximum

Annual Pay

$5,616

Minimum

$44,335

Median

$92,599

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

This group includes a wide range of researchers and consultants in the social sciences like anthropologists, archaeologists, geographers, historians, linguists, political scientists, sociologists, and other professional jobs in social science. They work for universities and throughout the public and private sectors. Specialization usually exists within each of these jobs.

Job duties

Anthropologists:

  • Conduct studies of the origin, development, and functioning of human societies and cultures and of human evolution, changing physical characteristics and geographical distribution.

Archaeologists:

  • Study artifacts (objects and structures) to reconstruct past economic, social, political, and intellectual life.

Geographers:

  • Study and analyse the spatial distribution and interrelationship of physical, biological, cultural, and social patterns.

Historians:

  • Conduct research into one or more phases or aspects of past human activity and interpret and document findings.

Linguists:

  • Study the origin, structure and development of languages and apply linguistic theory to problems in teaching, translation, and communications.

Political scientists:

  • Conduct research into the theory, origin, development, interrelationships and functioning of political institutions, political movements, and individual political behaviour.

Psychometricians:

  • Develop psychological tests, scales, and measures, and may administer or apply and interpret such tests, scales, and measures.
  • Psychometrists administer and score psychological tests, usually under the supervision of a registered psychologist.

Sociologists:

  • Study the development, structure, social patterns, and interrelationships of human society.

Other social science professionals:

  • Specialize in social sciences and humanities disciplines. These include criminologists (specialists in the study of crime and criminals), gerontologists (specialists in the phenomena and problems of aging), graphoanalysts (specialists in handwriting analysis) and others.

Sample job titles

  • anthropologist
  • archaeologist
  • criminologist
  • handwriting analyst
  • historian
  • linguist
  • philosopher
  • political scientist
  • social and cultural anthropologist
  • sociologist

Skills

  • You should be organized, resourceful, and able to cooperate with others in a team. You must be able to communicate clearly, both in speaking and in writing. You will need an interest in research and familiarity with computers. Advanced computer and technical skills for data manipulation and statistical analysis may be required in some positions.

Job requirements

  • A master's or doctoral degree in the discipline is usually required.

Other considerations

  • Specialization within each job occurs through specialized university study or through experience.

By the numbers

Quick look

220

employed in 2016

72.7%

employed full-time

22.7%

self employed

68.2%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
31.8%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
44.4

median age

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

55,420

employed in 2016

76.4%

employed full-time

6.6%

self employed

64.0%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
36%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
43.5

median age

Where will I likely work?

63.6%

Halifax

$46,866 median annual income
15.9%

Southern

N/A
9.1%

Annapolis Valley

N/A
6.8%

North Shore

N/A
4.5%

Cape Breton

N/A

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

26.5%

Professional, scientific and technical services

23.5%

Arts, entertainment and recreation

23.5%

Public administration

11.8%

Health care and social assistance

8.8%

Educational services

What is the age of Employment?

32.0%

25-34

25.0%

55-64

20.0%

35-44

14.0%

45-54

9.0%

65+

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

24.2%

35-44

22.7%

45-54

21.4%

25-34

17.2%

55-64

8.4%

15-24

Top levels of education

46.5%

Master

$37,060 median annual income
23.3%

Bachelor

$26,045 median annual income
14.0%

Doctorate

N/A
7.0%

Diploma Below Bachelor

N/A
4.7%

High school

N/A

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

28.9%

Bachelor

$45,929 median annual income
21.2%

College Diploma

$35,398 median annual income
16.8%

Master

$71,043 median annual income
14.6%

High school

$29,055 median annual income
4.6%

Doctorate

$100,443 median annual income

Education & training

Aboriginal Languages, Literatures and Linguistics

College or University Program

These programs focus on the languages native to the Western Hemisphere. They include courses in linguistic philology, oral and written literatures, Inuit and Aleut languages, Hawaiian (Polynesian language family), North American language families like Algonkian (Arapaho, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Cree, Micmac, Ojibwa, and others), Athabascan (Apache, Chipewyan, Kiowa, Navajo, Na-Dene, and others), Siouan (Crow, Dakota, Hidatsa, Osage, Winnebago, and others), Muskogean (Choctaw, Creek, and others), Iroquoian (Cherokee, Mohawk, Oneida, Senecan, and others), Yuman, Mayan (Classical Mayan, Quich?, Huastec, and others), Zapotecan (Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, Popolacan, and others), and Uto-Aztecan (Hopi, Shoshone, Zuni, Nahuatl, and others); South American language families such as Andean-Equatorial (Quechua, Aymar, Tup, Guaran, Arawak, Island Carib, and others), Ge-Pano-Carib (Carib and others), and Macro-Chibchan (Chibcha and others), and other minor languages.

Institutions providing this program

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Ancient Studies/Civilization

College or University Program

These programs focus on Western and non-Western cultures and related topics in the periods of prehistory and antiquity. They include courses in such disciplines as ancient languages, archeology, history, art history, geography, population studies, environmental studies, religious studies, and the social sciences.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Area Studies

College or University Program

These programs focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of a defined area, region, or country.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Celtic Languages, Literatures and Linguistics

College or University Program

These programs focus on the historical and modern languages spoken by the Celtic peoples of the British Isles, Continental Europe, and Asia Minor. They include courses in Celtic philology, modern languages like Irish, Scots Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton, and extinct or revived languages like Cornish, Manx, Galatian, and others.

Institutions providing this program

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures and Linguistics

College or University Program

These programs focus on the literary culture of the ancient Graeco-Roman world and the Greek and Latin languages and literatures and their development prior to the fall of the Roman Empire.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Computer and Information Sciences

College, Trades, or University Program

These programs focus on computing, computer science, and information science and systems as part of a broad and/or interdisciplinary program. Such programs are undifferentiated as to title and content and are not to be confused with specific programs in computer science, information science, or related support services.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Criminology

College or University Program

These programs focus on the systematic study of crime as a sociopathological phenomenon, the behaviour of criminals, and the social institutions evolved to respond to crime. They include courses in the theory of crime, psychological and social bases of criminal behaviour, social value systems and the theory of punishment, criminal law and criminal justice systems, penology, rehabilitation and recidivism, studies of specific types of crime, social attitudes and policy, and applications to specific issues in law enforcement administration and policy.

Institutions providing this program

Eastern College - Halifax

Halifax, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis

University Program

These interdisciplinary programs focus on analyzing and critiquing culture in its varied forms, including values, ideas, belief systems, and expressive acts, and the relationship between cultural forms, everyday life, and structures of power. They include courses in anthropology, communications, history, literary studies, philosophy, political economy, and sociology, as well as recent theories and methodologies such as semiotics, deconstruction, postcolonial studies, gender theory, and ethnography.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

East Asian Languages, Literatures and Linguistics

College or University Program

These programs focus on the Sino-Tibetan, Japanese, and Korean languages of East Asia. They include courses in philology, linguistics, dialects and pidgins, literature, and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

College or University Program

These programs focus on the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of various racial and ethnic groups, women’s studies, gay/lesbian studies, folklore studies, disability studies, and deaf studies.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

French Language and Literature (Canada)

College or University Program

These programs focus on the French language, including its history, structure and related communications skills, and the literature and culture of French-speaking peoples.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Geography

College or University Program

These programs focus on the systematic study of the spatial distribution and interrelationships of people, natural resources, plant and animal life. They include courses in historical and political geography, cultural geography, economic and physical geography, regional science, cartographic methods, remote sensing, spatial analysis, and applications to areas like land-use planning, development studies, and analyses of specific countries, regions, and resources.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Germanic Languages, Literatures and Linguistics

College or University Program

These programs focus on the Germanic languages of Western, Central, and Northern Europe. They include courses in philology, linguistics, dialects and pidgins, literature, and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Historic Preservation and Conservation

College or University Program

These programs focus on the architectural design principles and building techniques used in historic structures and environments, and the process of saving and restoring old buildings and districts for contemporary use and enjoyment. They include courses in architectural history, building conservation techniques, real estate, land-use and tax laws and codes, economics and public policy, and public relations.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

History

College or University Program

These programs focus on the general study and interpretation of the past, including gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. They include courses in historiography, historical research methods, studies of specific periods, issues and cultures, and applications to areas like historic preservation, public policy, and records administration.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Human Development and Family Studies

College, Trades, or University Program

These programs focus on basic human developmental and behavioural characteristics of the individual within the context of the family. They include courses in the conditions that influence human growth and development, strategies that promote growth and development across the lifespan, and the study of family systems.

Institutions providing this program

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Linguistics

College or University Program

These programs focus on language, language development, and relationships among languages and language groups from a humanistic and/or scientific perspective. They include courses in subjects such as psycholinguistics, behavioural linguistics, language acquisition, sociolinguistics, mathematical and computational linguistics, grammatical theory and theoretical linguistics, philosophical linguistics, philology and historical linguistics, comparative linguistics, phonetics, phonemics, dialectology, semantics, functional grammar and linguistics, language typology, lexicography, morphology and syntax, orthography, stylistics, structuralism, rhetoric, and applications to artificial intelligence.

Institutions providing this program

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Medieval and Renaissance Studies

College or University Program

These programs focus on the study of the Medieval and Renaissance periods in European and circum- Mediterranean history from the perspective of various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including history and archeology, as well as studies of period art and music.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Neuroscience

University Program

These programs focus on the interdisciplinary scientific study of the molecular, structural, physiologic, cognitive, and behavioural aspects of the brain and nervous system. They include courses in molecular and cellular neuroscience, brain science, anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system, molecular and biochemical bases of information processing, behavioural neuroscience, biology of neuropsychiatric disorders, and applications to the clinical sciences and biomedical engineering.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Philosophy

College or University Program

These programs focus on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. They include courses in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Physical Sciences

College or University Program

These programs focus on the major topics, concepts, processes, and interrelationships of physical phenomena as studied in any combination of physical science disciplines.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Political Science and Government

College or University Program

These programs focus on the systematic study of political institutions and behaviour. They include courses in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies of specific political institutions and processes.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Religion/Religious Studies

College or University Program

These programs focus on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems. They include courses in phenomenology, the sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, literature and art of religion, mythology, scriptural and textual studies, religious history and politics, and specific studies of particular faith communities and their behaviour.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Romance Languages, Literatures and Linguistics

College or University Program

These programs focus on the Romance languages of Western, Central, and Southern Europe. They include courses in philology, linguistics, dialects and pidgins, literature, and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Semitic Languages, Literatures and Linguistics

College or University Program

These programs focus on the Semitic languages of Western Asia, North Africa, and Europe. They include courses in philology, linguistics, dialects and pidgins, literature, and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Sociology

College or University Program

These programs focus on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. They include courses in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Sociology and Anthropology

College or University Program

These programs combine sociology and anthropology to study how society is organized, the origins and development of social institutions, social change, social organizations, race, class, gender and culture.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts

Canadian Linguistic Association
Various, Canada
Canadian Association on Gerontology
Toronto, ON
Canadian Association of Geographers
Ottawa, ON
Canadian Criminal Justice Association
Ottawa, ON
Canadian Political Science Association
Ottawa, ON
Canadian Historical Association
Ottawa, ON

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.