General English Literature

Types of Degrees General English Literature Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general English literature graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	3,951
Doctor’s Degree	924
Graduate Certificate	91

What General English Literature Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to English and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for English Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for English Majors

When studying English, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for English Majors

As you progress with your English degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a General English Literature Major?

People with a English degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
English Language and Literature Professors	9.8%	$66,590
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$60,320

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in General English Literature?

General English Literature runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #47 out of all the graduate majors we track. In 2021, about 3,951 graduates completed their master’s degree in this field. The major attracts more women than men. About 72% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of English majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	120
Black or African American	231
Hispanic or Latino	414
White	2,694
International Students	172
Other Races/Ethnicities	320

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in English, too. About 4.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• Saudi Arabia
• Japan
• Mexico

How Much Do General English Literature Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in English was $44,855 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $39,787 (25th percentile) and $48,879 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in English, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

English majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $64,340 to $78,150 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to General English Literature

Some careers associated with English require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for English careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	4.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	28.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	8.0%
Master’s Degree	27.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	2.9%
Doctoral Degree	30.0%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.2%

Online General English Literature Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 1,525 schools offered some type of general English literature program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	14	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	238	29
Bachelor’s Degree	42	9
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	412	23
Post-Master’s	13	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	145	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	1	0

Is a Degree in General English Literature Worth It?

The median salary for a English grad is $64,340 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 61% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $488,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to General English Literature

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to English.

Major	Number of Grads
Writing Studies	4,263
English Literature (Other)	175
Literature	162

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.