woman kneeling down at an archaeological site holding a human skull in one hand and a pen and clipboard in the other

Other professional occupations in social science

(NOC 41409)
Annual Earnings
$65,905
Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities
University Degree
Job Openings
(2024-2034)
440

Career Overview

This group includes anthropologists, archaeologists, geographers, historians, linguists, political scientists, sociologists and other professional occupations in social science not elsewhere classified.

People in this occupation:

  • Work in universities and throughout the public and private sectors

 

Job Titles

Anthropologist
Applied anthropologist
Applied geographer
Applied linguist
Archaeological consultant
Archaeological field worker
Archaeologist
Biogeographer
Biological anthropologist
Criminologist
Cultural anthropologist
Cultural geographer
Diplomatic historian
Dramatic arts historian
Economic geographer
Economic historian
Educational sociologist
Ethnographer
Ethnologist
Etymologist
Genealogist
Geographer
Gerontologist
Graphoanalyst
Graphologist
Handwriting analyst
Handwriting expert
Historian
Historical geographer
Industrial geographer
Industrial sociologist
Linguist
Linguistic anthropologist
Medical sociologist
Military historian
Penologist
Philologist
Philosopher
Physical anthropologist
Physical geographer
Political geographer
Political historian
Political scientist
Politicist
Psycholinguist
Psychometrician
Psychometrist
Quantitative historian
Research anthropologist
Research archaeologist
Rural sociologist
Scientific handwriting expert
Social and cultural anthropologist
Social anthropologist
Social ecologist
Social historian
Social scientist
Sociolinguist
Sociologist
Theatre historian
Urban geographer
Urban sociologist

Duties

The following is a summary of main duties for some occupations in this group:

Anthropologists:

  • Do 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 analyze the spatial distribution and interrelationship of physical, biological, cultural and social patterns

Historians:

  • Do 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:

  • Do 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
  • May give and interpret such tests, scales and measures
  • Give and score psychological tests, usually under the supervision of a registered psychologist

Sociologists:

  • Study the development, structure, social patterns and relationships within human society

Special duties

Specialization usually exists within each of these occupations. Other social science professionals included in this group specialize in particular areas of 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)

 

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$65,905

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$53.14/hr
Median$31.60/hr
Low$17.40/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2024 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

1,185

% Employed Full Time

65%
Source: 2021 Census

Key aspects of the work in this occupation:

  • Work takes place in a conventional indoor office setting
  • Workers may be exposed to various outdoor weather conditions
  • Workers be exposed to dust and sand in the workplace

 

Career Pathways

Specialization within each occupation occurs through specialized university study or through experience.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Investigative
Investigative

Education, Training and Skills

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

 

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Anthropology
  • Geography (Arts)
  • History
  • Linguistics Related (Arts)
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science/Studies
  • Sociology
  • Linguistics (Science)
  • Gerontology
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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

81%
Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

75%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

75%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

75%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

74%
Active Learning

Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.

70%
Complex Problem Solving

Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

65%
Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

64%
Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

60%
Instructing

Teaching others how to do something.

58%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

1,185
Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Employment % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 45 3.8%
Kootenay 20 1.7%
Mainland/Southwest 645 54.2%
North Coast and Nechako 60 5.0%
Northeast 35 2.9%
Thompson-Okanagan 95 8.0%
Vancouver Island/Coast 290 24.4%
Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)

440
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)

Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 0 -1.3%
Kootenay Not available Not available
Mainland/Southwest 280 1.7%
North Coast and Nechako 0 -5.6%
Northeast 0 -0.2%
Thompson-Okanagan 50 1.7%
Vancouver Island/Coast 120 1.1%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2024-2034)
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services200
Public Administration100
Health Care and Social Assistance50
Information, Culture and Recreation40
Educational Services20
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.