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General English Literature Major

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General English Literature

31,214 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
3,951 Master's Degrees Annually
#18 in Popularity
$64,340 Median Salary

Types of Degrees General English Literature Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general English literature graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 31,214
Master’s Degree 3,951
Associate Degree 3,166
Doctor’s Degree 924
Basic Certificate 798
Undergraduate Certificate 337
Graduate Certificate 91

What General English Literature Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to English and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for English Majors

English majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for English Majors

A major in English prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

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  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • 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.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for English Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a English student include the following:

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  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a General English Literature Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with English:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
English Language and Literature Professors 9.8% $66,590
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 7.5% $60,320

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in General English Literature?

31,214 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
74% Percent Women
34% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is one of the most frequently chosen undergraduate majors. It is the 18th most popular in the country with 31,214 students graduating with a bachelor’s in English in 2021. The major attracts more women than men. About 74% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of English majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 1,427
Black or African American 2,387
Hispanic or Latino 5,152
White 19,324
International Students 505
Other Races/Ethnicities 2,419

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in English, too. About 1.6% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • South Korea
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Japan
  • Mexico

How Much Do General English Literature Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English have a median salary of $27,744 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $24,645 (25th percentile) and $31,385 (75th percentile).

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Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a English degree.

Salaries According to BLS

English majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $64,340 to $78,150 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a General English Literature Major  ( 64340 to 78150 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with English may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to English have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 4.6%
Bachelor’s Degree 28.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 8.0%
Master’s Degree 27.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 2.9%
Doctoral Degree 30.0%
Post-Doctoral Training 0.2%

Online General English Literature Programs

In 2020-2021, 1,525 schools offered a English program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 14 1
Certificate (2-4 Years) 1 0
Associate’s Degree 238 29
Bachelor’s Degree 42 9
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 412 23
Post-Master’s 13 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 145 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 1 0

Is a Degree in General English Literature Worth It?

The median salary for a English grad is $64,340 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 61% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $488,800 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to English.

Major Number of Grads
Writing Studies 12,529
English Literature (Other) 942
Literature 683

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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