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Linguistics

Types of Degrees Linguistics Majors Are Earning

Those studying Linguistics may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6
Associate’s Degree	35
Bachelor’s Degree	1,946
Master’s Degree	600
Doctor’s Degree	260

What Linguistics Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Foreign Language — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Linguistics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Linguistics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Linguistics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7
Getting Information	3.9 / 7
Working with Computers	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.7 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.7 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Linguistics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
QuarkXPress	Desktop publishing software	—
American Sign Language ASL browser	Dictionary software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Audacity	Music or sound editing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Linguistics graduates include:

• Italian Teacher
• Chinese Language Professor
• Chinese Instructor
• University Faculty Member
• Russian Teacher
• Swahili Teacher
• English for Speakers of Other Languages Teacher (ESOL Teacher)
• German Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Arabic Professor
• Lecturer
• Spanish Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.6%
Bachelor’s degree	26.8%
Master’s degree	21.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.7%
Post-master’s certificate	1.4%
Postsecondary certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Linguistics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 67.5% of Linguistics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,921	67.5%
Men	926	32.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,416	49.7%
Asian	283	9.9%
Hispanic or Latino	458	16.1%
Black or African American	91	3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	10	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.0%
Two or More Races	148	5.2%
Race Unknown	104	3.7%
International Students	336	11.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Linguistics Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Linguistics 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 Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for 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	1	0
Master’s	1	1

^{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 Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Linguistics 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
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	16.01
Applied Linguistics	16.0105
Comparative Literature	16.0104
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General	16.0101
Language Interpretation and Translation	16.0103
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services, Other	16.0199
African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.0201
Albanian Language and Literature	16.0404
American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.1001
American Sign Language (ASL)	16.1601
Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.1103
Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature	16.1202

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.