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Field of degree: Communications

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Communications field of degree. Employment: 2,875,890. Median annual wage: $57,000.

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Table 1. Communications degree, 2021
Data	Communications	All fields
Employment	2,875,890	59,687,450
Median wage	57,000	63,000
Percent employed part time	15	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	55	62
Percent with an advanced degree	24	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of communications majors, 2021.

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Chart 1. Types of communications, 2021
Communications majors	Major share
Communications	55%
Journalism	19
Mass Media	15
Advertising And Public Relations	10
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a communications degree, by occupational group, 2021.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a communications degree, by occupational group, 2021
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	21%
Business and financial operations occupations	13
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	12
Sales and related occupations	11
Office and administrative support occupations	10
Other	33
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a communications degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a communications degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2022–32	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2021	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2021
Market research analysts and marketing specialists	13%	Bachelor's degree	2%	20%
Lawyers	8	Doctoral or professional degree	2	91
Marketing managers	7	Bachelor's degree	3	25
Producers and directors	7	Bachelor's degree	2	17
Human resources specialists	6	Bachelor's degree	2	19
Managers, all other	3	Bachelor's degree	5	21
Elementary school teachers, except special education	1	Bachelor's degree	3	49
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products	1	High school diploma or equivalent	2	8
Customer service representatives	-5	High school diploma or equivalent	2	4
Chief executives	-8	Bachelor's degree	2	32
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Communications,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/communications/communications-field-of-degree.htm (visited April 17, 2024).

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023