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Germanic Languages

A general program that focuses on one or more of the Germanic languages of Western, Central, and Northern Europe. Includes instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Types of Degrees Germanic Languages Majors Are Earning

Those studying Germanic Languages can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	16
Associate’s Degree	18
Bachelor’s Degree	752
Master’s Degree	205
Doctor’s Degree	80

What Germanic Languages Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 2.9 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Germanic Languages program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Germanic Languages careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Germanic Languages graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Germanic Languages professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
American Sign Language ASL browser	Dictionary software	—
Skype	Desktop communications software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Germanic Languages graduates include:

• Bilingual Teacher
• Language Arts Teacher
• Spanish Teacher
• Hebrew Teacher
• ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)
• Language Teacher
• Teacher
• Language Instructor
• French Teacher
• Foreign Language Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Bilingual Instructor
• Lecturer
• Chinese Teacher
• Adjunct Spanish Instructor

What Can You Do With a Germanic Languages Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Germanic Languages commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	1.8%	$77,927	$66,306–$89,549

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	36.6%
Bachelor’s degree	35.8%
Master’s degree	18.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.6%
Post-master’s certificate	2.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.4%
Postsecondary certificate	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Germanic Languages?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 54.3% women and 45.7% men among Germanic Languages graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	589	446.2%
Men	495	375.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	110	83.3%
Hispanic or Latino	2	1.5%
Black or African American	2	1.5%
Two or More Races	2	1.5%
Race Unknown	4	3.0%
International Students	12	9.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Germanic Languages Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Germanic Languages 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	$46,924
4 years	$56,972
5 years	$62,456

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $62,456 — roughly 33% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Germanic Languages Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Germanic Languages. 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
Bachelor’s	1	5

^{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 Germanic Languages Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Germanic Languages graduates earn a median of $56,972 four years after completion — roughly 50% 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
Foreign Languages Linguistics	28,685
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	12,321
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	7,564
American Sign Language	2,311
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	2,111
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	1,385
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other	545
Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	541
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	448
Second Language Learning	230
American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	58
Southeast Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General	36

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.