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Polish Language & Literature

Types of Degrees Polish Language & Literature Majors Are Earning

Those studying Polish Language & Literature may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	6

What Polish Language & Literature Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Polish Language & Literature 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

The skill set emphasized by a Polish Language & Literature 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

Abilities most relevant to Polish Language & Literature 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 Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
QuarkXPress	Desktop publishing software	—
Skype	Desktop communications software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Polish Language & Literature graduates include:

• Greek Professor
• Teacher
• Modern Languages Professor
• Spanish Teacher
• Adjunct Spanish Instructor
• Arabic Instructor
• Language Arts Teacher
• French Teacher
• Hebrew Professor
• Spanish Instructor
• Spanish Lecturer
• German Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Arabic Teacher
• Swahili Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 66.7% of Polish Language & Literature degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4	66.7%
Men	2	33.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4	66.7%
Hispanic or Latino	1	16.7%
Two or More Races	1	16.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Polish Language & Literature Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Polish 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	$60,240
4 years	$66,679

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

Is a Degree in Polish Language & Literature Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Polish Language & Literature graduates earn a median of $66,679 four years after completion — roughly 75% 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
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.04
Albanian Language and Literature	16.0404
Baltic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.0401
Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian Languages and Literatures	16.0408
Bulgarian Language and Literature	16.0405
Czech Language and Literature	16.0406
Russian Language and Literature	16.0402
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.0400
Slavic, Baltic, and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other	16.0499
Slovak Language and Literature	16.0409
Ukrainian Language and Literature	16.0410
African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	16.0201

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.