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Housing

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 19.0601 - 19.0699.

Types of Degrees Housing Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Housing may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	150
Master’s Degree	95
Doctor’s Degree	9

What Housing Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Housing emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Housing program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Housing careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Housing graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Housing professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Microsoft Internet Explorer	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Dynamics	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Housing graduates include:

• Adjunct Instructor
• Home Services Advisor
• Youth Development Agent
• County Home Demonstrator
• District Extension Service Agent
• Youth Development Professional
• 4-H Club Agent
• Farm Services Consultant
• County Demonstrator
• Program Management Advisor
• Extension Service Advisor
• Agriculture Consultant
• Home Agent
• Extension Specialist
• Home Economics Extension Worker

What Can You Do With a Housing Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Housing commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Farm and Home Management Educators	14.0%	$55,950	$47,136–$64,765

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	43.4%
Bachelor’s degree	22.8%
Doctoral degree	14.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.7%
Some college courses	4.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.7%
Postsecondary certificate	3.6%
Less than a high school diploma	1.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.4%
First professional degree	0.4%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Housing?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 56.5% women and 43.5% men among Housing graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	144	56.5%
Men	111	43.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	178	69.8%
Asian	13	5.1%
Hispanic or Latino	20	7.8%
Black or African American	20	7.8%
Two or More Races	11	4.3%
Race Unknown	2	0.8%
International Students	11	4.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Housing Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Housing 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	$39,937
4 years	$53,705
5 years	$60,675

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $60,675 — roughly 52% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Housing Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Housing. 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
Master’s	2	2
Doctoral (Research)	1	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 Housing Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Housing graduates earn a median of $53,705 four years after completion — roughly 41% 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Family Consumer Human Sciences	53,684
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services	42,800
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services	3,867
Apparel and Textiles	2,711
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General	2,227
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies	1,166
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services	493
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, Other	156
Work and Family Studies	9
Work and Family Studies	—

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.