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Japanese Language & Literature

Types of Degrees Japanese Language & Literature Majors Are Earning

Those studying Japanese Language & Literature can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	10
Associate’s Degree	142
Bachelor’s Degree	583
Master’s Degree	173
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Japanese Language & Literature Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Japanese Language & Literature 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 built by a Japanese Language & Literature 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 Japanese Language & Literature 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 Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Japanese Language & Literature 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 Japanese Language & Literature professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
American Sign Language ASL browser	Dictionary software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Japanese Language & Literature graduates include:

• Language Arts Teacher
• ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)
• Hebrew Teacher
• Bilingual Teacher
• Spanish Teacher
• Language Teacher
• French Teacher
• Language Instructor
• Teacher
• University Faculty Member
• Chinese Teacher
• Chinese Instructor
• Russian Language Professor
• German Teacher
• Japanese Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Japanese Language & Literature 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 Japanese Language & Literature?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 47.8% women and 52.2% men among Japanese Language & Literature graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	440	47.8%
Men	480	52.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Japanese Language & Literature graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	368	40.0%
Asian	194	21.1%
Hispanic or Latino	118	12.8%
Black or African American	42	4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.3%
Two or More Races	118	12.8%
Race Unknown	24	2.6%
International Students	50	5.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Japanese Language & Literature Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Japanese Language & Literature 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	$27,756
4 years	$45,953
5 years	$53,377

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $53,377 — roughly 92% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Japanese Language & Literature Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Japanese Language & Literature. 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	2	3

^{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 Japanese Language & Literature Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Japanese Language & Literature graduates earn a median of $45,953 four years after completion — roughly 21% 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
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.03
Chinese Language and Literature	16.0301
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other	16.0399
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.0300
Korean Language and Literature	16.0303
Tibetan Language and Literature	16.0304
American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.1001
American Sign Language (ASL)	16.1601
Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature	16.1202
Arabic Language and Literature	16.1101
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other	16.1299
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.1200

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.