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Linguistics & Literature

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 16.0101 - 16.0199.

Types of Degrees Linguistics & Literature Majors Are Earning

Those studying Linguistics & Literature have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	101
Associate’s Degree	368
Bachelor’s Degree	4,678
Master’s Degree	1,938
Doctor’s Degree	456

What Linguistics & Literature Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Linguistics & Literature emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Linguistics & Literature program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Linguistics & Literature graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Linguistics & Literature professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Linguistics & Literature graduates include:

• Language Arts Teacher
• Teacher
• Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• University Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• Associate Professor
• College Professor
• Lecturer
• College Faculty Member
• Language Teacher
• ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)
• Hebrew Teacher
• French Teacher

What Can You Do With a Linguistics & Literature Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Linguistics & Literature 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 Linguistics & Literature graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	42.5%
Bachelor’s degree	26.7%
Master’s degree	21.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.2%
Post-master’s certificate	2.0%
Less than a high school diploma	1.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.8%
Postsecondary certificate	0.3%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Linguistics & Literature?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.7% of Linguistics & Literature degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5,346	70.7%
Men	2,218	29.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,409	45.1%
Asian	554	7.3%
Hispanic or Latino	1,855	24.5%
Black or African American	304	4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	24	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Two or More Races	379	5.0%
Race Unknown	249	3.3%
International Students	786	10.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Linguistics & Literature Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Linguistics & Literature 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	$28,314
4 years	$43,990
5 years	$52,123

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $52,123 — roughly 84% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Linguistics & Literature Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Linguistics & Literature. 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	13	10
Bachelor’s	3	4
Master’s	3	7

^{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 Linguistics & Literature Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Linguistics & Literature graduates earn a median of $43,990 four years after completion — roughly 16% 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
American Sign Language	2,311
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	2,111
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	1,385
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	1,084
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.