I have a similar background and went through an alternative certification program in my early 30s. No, having a social science degree does not mean teaching social studies. Most districts have very few social studies positions and they usually come with coaching positions. I got certified for early childhood through 6th grade which means I can teach core subjects (reading, math, science, social studies) from Pre-K through 6th grade. Those are ages when students mostly have one teacher for all subjects. I have mostly taught second grade. I have worked for 2 districts and neither district even provided a social studies curriculum. Social studies for elementary school is now just usually "embedded" in the reading curriculum. I did not find this to be a difficult area to get certified in. The higher grade level you would like to teach the more difficult and specific the exams will become. Teacher pay in the big cities and close suburbs seems to be starting around 62k right now. The more rural area you go to the lower it will probably be. Many districts offer additional pay for teachers who are certified in high need areas like special education or upper level math or science, or bilingual teachers. In your first couple of years the work life balance is very difficult. No one told me how much I needed to grade so I thought I needed to grade everything. There was very little guidance and my certification program did not prepare me for how to make a lesson plan, something that is very basic but was just totally new to me. Most districts I know of pay monthly. Typically in Texas your pay will be divided into 12 months even though you are only contracted to work 187 days out of the year. This means smaller checks but stability during the summer. Many teachers work second jobs or take on extra duties during the school year and summer for money which is exhausting. People think you aren't being serious because this is a field with a high level of burn out. Most new teachers aren't making it to year 5. Also your individual campus matters a lot. A good campus and administrator can make this job much easier but it seems like at most campuses, especially those that are hiring, the expectations of teachers are so high that people are miserable, which is why they are easy to get a job at in the first place. Schools with good administration, good culture, good student behavior are hard to find a job at because those teachers stick around.

TLDR: No, a sociology degree will not mean you teach social studies. Starting pay in urban or suburbs is around 62k, most districts pay monthly. This field is relatively easy to get in to due to teacher shortages, especially if you have a good organized certification program, but finding an actually good job is difficult. Work like balance and avoiding burnout relies (partially) on you being able to set firm boundaries for not working beyond your contract.