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Other Family & Consumer Sciences

What Other Family & Consumer Sciences Majors Need to Know

Studies in Other Family & Consumer Sciences develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Family & Consumer Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Other Family & Consumer Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Other Family & Consumer Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Other Family & Consumer Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Family & Consumer Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Family & Consumer Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Database management systems	Data base management system software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Zoom	Video conferencing software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Family & Consumer Sciences graduates include:

• Family and Consumer Sciences Professor (FCS Professor)
• Food and Nutrition Teacher
• Food and Nutrition Instructor
• University Faculty Member
• Home Economics Teacher
• Home and Family Living Professor
• Weaving Professor
• Nutrition Instructor
• Human Development Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Textiles and Clothing Teacher
• Child Development Instructor
• Dietetics Professor
• Home Economics Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Family & Consumer Sciences graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	48.0%
Master’s degree	36.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.9%
Bachelor’s degree	3.7%
Postsecondary certificate	1.9%
Some college courses	1.0%
Post-doctoral training	0.8%
First professional degree	0.3%

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

How Much Do Other Family & Consumer Sciences Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Other Family & Consumer Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,391
4 years	$54,186
5 years	$63,925

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $63,925 — roughly 51% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Other Family & Consumer Sciences Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Other Family & Consumer Sciences graduates earn a median of $54,186 four years after completion — roughly 43% 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
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services	19.02
Business Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences	19.0201
Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management	19.0203
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Communication	19.0202
Adult Development and Aging	19.0702
Apparel and Textile Manufacture	19.0902
Apparel and Textiles, General	19.0901
Child Care and Support Services Management	19.0708
Child Development	19.0706
Consumer Economics	19.0402
Consumer Services and Advocacy	19.0403
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Services, Other	19.0499

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.