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Speech Communication

Types of Degrees Speech Communication Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Speech Communication can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	22
Associate’s Degree	4,556
Bachelor’s Degree	25,516
Master’s Degree	2,558
Doctor’s Degree	292

What Speech Communication Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Speech Communication develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Speech Communication graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Speech Communication emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Speech Communication program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Speech Communication careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Speech Communication graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Speech Communication professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	✓
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Speech Communication graduates include:

• Rhetoric Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Journalism Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Communication Studies Professor
• Media Arts Professor
• Communication Instructor
• Journalism Instructor
• Communication Arts Lecturer
• Communications Assistant Professor
• Public Speaking Teacher
• Instructor
• Communication Arts Professor
• Journalist Professor
• Communications Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Speech Communication graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	41.7%
Bachelor’s degree	26.5%
Doctoral degree	9.5%
Some college courses	8.6%
Post-doctoral training	5.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.9%
Less than a high school diploma	1.3%
First professional degree	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Speech Communication?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 63.6% of Speech Communication degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	20,965	63.6%
Men	11,979	36.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Speech Communication graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	17,490	53.1%
Asian	1,592	4.8%
Hispanic or Latino	6,822	20.7%
Black or African American	3,000	9.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	115	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	86	0.3%
Two or More Races	1,581	4.8%
Race Unknown	721	2.2%
International Students	1,537	4.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Speech Communication Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Speech Communication graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,014
4 years	$49,526
5 years	$57,312

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $57,312 — roughly 51% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Speech Communication Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Speech Communication. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	28	23
Bachelor’s	48	67
Master’s	23	16
Doctoral (Research)	2	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Speech Communication Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Speech Communication graduates earn a median of $49,526 four years after completion — roughly 30% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Communication, General	09.01
Communication and Media Studies, Other	09.0199
Communication, General	09.0100
Mass Communication/Media Studies	09.0102
Broadcast Journalism	09.0402
International and Intercultural Communication	09.0907
Political Communication	09.0904
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	09.0900
Public Relations/Image Management	09.0902
Sports Communication	09.0906
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other	09.9999
Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia	09.0702

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.