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Foreign Languages & Linguistics

Types of Degrees Foreign Languages & Linguistics Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Foreign Languages & Linguistics may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	625
Associate’s Degree	2,361
Bachelor’s Degree	17,709
Master’s Degree	6,629
Doctor’s Degree	1,120

What Foreign Languages & Linguistics Majors Need to Know

Programs in Foreign Languages & Linguistics build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Foreign Languages & Linguistics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Foreign Languages & Linguistics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 2.9 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Foreign Languages & Linguistics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Foreign Languages & Linguistics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Foreign Languages & Linguistics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Foreign Languages & Linguistics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Foreign Languages & Linguistics graduates include:

• Teacher
• Language Arts Teacher
• Spanish Teacher
• Language Instructor
• French Teacher
• ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)
• Language Teacher
• Bilingual Teacher
• Hebrew Teacher
• Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Lecturer
• College Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Foreign Languages & Linguistics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	37.2%
Bachelor’s degree	34.8%
Master’s degree	19.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.6%
Post-master’s certificate	2.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.2%
Postsecondary certificate	0.4%
Less than a high school diploma	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Foreign Languages & Linguistics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 71% of Foreign Languages & Linguistics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	20,377	71.0%
Men	8,308	29.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Foreign Languages & Linguistics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	13,954	48.6%
Asian	1,779	6.2%
Hispanic or Latino	7,618	26.6%
Black or African American	1,120	3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	109	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	17	0.1%
Two or More Races	1,300	4.5%
Race Unknown	758	2.6%
International Students	2,030	7.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Foreign Languages & Linguistics Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Foreign Languages & Linguistics 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	$33,322
4 years	$46,553
5 years	$54,624

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $54,624 — roughly 64% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Foreign Languages & Linguistics Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Foreign Languages & Linguistics. 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	35	43
Bachelor’s	23	60
Master’s	21	20
Doctoral (Research)	1	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 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Foreign Languages & Linguistics graduates earn a median of $46,553 four years after completion — roughly 23% 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.}

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.