---

Human Computer Interaction

Types of Degrees Human Computer Interaction Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Human Computer Interaction can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	34
Bachelor’s Degree	792
Master’s Degree	1,433
Doctor’s Degree	24

What Human Computer Interaction Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Human Computer Interaction emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Human Computer Interaction program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Human Computer Interaction careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Human Computer Interaction graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Human Computer Interaction professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Linux	Operating system software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
UNIX	Operating system software	✓
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓
C	Development environment software	✓
C#	Object or component oriented development software	✓
PHP	Web platform development software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Human Computer Interaction graduates include:

• Systems Engineer
• Information Technology Professor (IT Professor)
• IT Adjunct Faculty Member (Information Technology Adjunct Faculty Member)
• Computer Technology Instructor
• College Professor
• Computer Information Systems Professor (CIS Professor)
• Network Technology Instructor
• Computer Networking Instructor
• Computer Science Instructor
• Computer Science Professor
• Information Systems Professor (IS Professor)
• Information Security Systems Instructor
• Cybersecurity Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Computer Science Adjunct Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	33.2%
Master’s degree	18.8%
Doctoral degree	13.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	11.3%
Postsecondary certificate	9.6%
Some college courses	4.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.3%
Less than a high school diploma	1.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%
First professional degree	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Human Computer Interaction?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 47.4% women and 52.6% men among Human Computer Interaction graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,090	47.4%
Men	1,208	52.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Human Computer Interaction graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	823	35.8%
Asian	243	10.6%
Hispanic or Latino	232	10.1%
Black or African American	136	5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	4	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.1%
Two or More Races	88	3.8%
Race Unknown	54	2.3%
International Students	716	31.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Human Computer Interaction Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Human Computer Interaction 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	$49,105
4 years	$88,642
5 years	$106,349

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $106,349 — roughly 117% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Human Computer Interaction Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Human Computer Interaction. 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	1
Bachelor’s	2	1
Master’s	7	8
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{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 Human Computer Interaction Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Human Computer Interaction graduates earn a median of $88,642 four years after completion — roughly 133% 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
Multi Interdisciplinary Studies	30
Accounting and Computer Science	30.16
Anthrozoology	30.34
Behavioral Sciences	30.17
Biological and Physical Sciences	30.01
Biopsychology	30.10
Classical and Ancient Studies	30.22
Climate Science	30.35
Cognitive Science	30.25
Computational Science	30.30
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature	30.36
Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis	30.26

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.