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Korean Language & Literature

Types of Degrees Korean Language & Literature Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Korean Language & Literature have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	15
Bachelor’s Degree	68
Master’s Degree	54
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Korean Language & Literature Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Korean 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 developed in a Korean 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

Abilities most relevant to Korean 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 Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Audacity	Music or sound editing software	—
QuarkXPress	Desktop publishing software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Korean Language & Literature graduates include:

• ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)
• Hebrew Teacher
• Teacher
• French Teacher
• Language Teacher
• Language Arts Teacher
• Bilingual Teacher
• Language Instructor
• Spanish Teacher
• Hebrew Professor
• Arabic Instructor
• Greek Professor
• German Professor
• Biblical Languages Professor
• French Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Korean 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 Korean Language & Literature?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 77.9% of Korean Language & Literature degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	113	77.9%
Men	32	22.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	47	32.4%
Asian	47	32.4%
Hispanic or Latino	20	13.8%
Black or African American	11	7.6%
Two or More Races	12	8.3%
Race Unknown	1	0.7%
International Students	7	4.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Korean Language & Literature Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Korean Language & Literature 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	$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.}

Is a Degree in Korean Language & Literature Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Korean 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
Japanese Language and Literature	16.0302
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.