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Linguistics & Literature

Types of Degrees Linguistics & Literature Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	101
Associate’s Degree	368
Bachelor’s Degree	4,678
Master’s Degree	1,938
Doctor’s Degree	456

What Linguistics & Literature Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Linguistics & Literature program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Linguistics & Literature graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Linguistics & Literature professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser 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	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Linguistics & Literature graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	42.5%
Bachelor’s degree	26.7%
Master’s degree	21.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.2%
Post-master’s certificate	2.0%
Less than a high school diploma	1.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.8%
Postsecondary certificate	0.3%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Linguistics & Literature?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.7% of Linguistics & Literature degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5,346	70.7%
Men	2,218	29.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,409	45.1%
Asian	554	7.3%
Hispanic or Latino	1,855	24.5%
Black or African American	304	4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	24	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Two or More Races	379	5.0%
Race Unknown	249	3.3%
International Students	786	10.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Linguistics & Literature Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Linguistics & Literature graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$28,314
4 years	$43,990
5 years	$52,123

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $52,123 — roughly 84% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Linguistics & Literature Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Linguistics & 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	13	10
Bachelor’s	3	4
Master’s	3	7

^{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 Linguistics & Literature Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Linguistics & Literature graduates earn a median of $43,990 four years after completion — roughly 16% 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
Foreign Languages Linguistics	16
African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.02
American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.10
American Sign Language	16.16
Armenian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.18
Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.13
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.12
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.03
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other	16.99
FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS	16.00
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.05
Iranian/Persian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.08

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.