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Sign Language Linguistics

Types of Degrees Sign Language Linguistics Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Sign Language Linguistics may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	10

What Sign Language Linguistics Majors Need to Know

Studies in Sign Language Linguistics develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Sign Language Linguistics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Sign Language Linguistics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Sign Language Linguistics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Sign Language Linguistics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Sign Language Linguistics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Sign Language Linguistics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Adobe PageMaker	Desktop publishing software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Sign Language Linguistics graduates include:

• Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• Lecturer
• Adjunct Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Military Science Instructor
• Science Teacher
• Language Arts Teacher
• Spanish Teacher
• ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)
• Language Instructor
• Bilingual Teacher
• Language Teacher
• Hebrew Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	45.2%
Doctoral degree	28.2%
Master’s degree	15.1%
Post-master’s certificate	3.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.0%
Postsecondary certificate	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Sign Language Linguistics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 80% of Sign Language Linguistics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	8	80.0%
Men	2	20.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Sign Language Linguistics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6	60.0%
Black or African American	1	10.0%
Race Unknown	1	10.0%
International Students	2	20.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Sign Language Linguistics Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Sign Language 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	$36,601
4 years	$38,080
5 years	$43,723

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $43,723 — roughly 19% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Sign Language Linguistics Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Sign Language 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
Master’s	1	0

^{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 Sign Language Linguistics Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Sign Language Linguistics graduates earn a median of $38,080 four years after completion — essentially in line with 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
American Sign Language	16.16
American Sign Language (ASL)	16.1601
American Sign Language, Other	16.1699
Sign Language Interpretation and Translation	16.1603
American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.1001
Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature	16.1202
Arabic Language and Literature	16.1101
Chinese Language and Literature	16.0301
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other	16.1299
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.1200
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other	16.0399
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.0300

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.