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Field of degree: Communications

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Communications field of degree. Employment: 2,718,900. Median annual wage: $54,000.

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Table 1. Communications degree, 2019
Data	Communications	All fields
Employment	2,718,900	56,820,460
Median wage	54,000	60,000
Percent employed part time	15	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	53	60
Percent with an advanced degree	23	37
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of communications majors, 2019.

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Chart 1. Types of communications majors, 2019
Communications majors	Major share
Communications	55%
Journalism	19
Mass Media	14
Advertising And Public Relations	11
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, 2019.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a communications degree, by occupational group, 2019
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	21%
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	12
Business and financial operations occupations	12
Sales and related occupations	12
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 2021–31	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2019	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2019
Market research analysts and marketing specialists	19%	Bachelor's degree	2%	21%
Postsecondary teachers	12	Doctoral or professional degree	2	73
Marketing managers	10	Bachelor's degree	3	24
Lawyers	10	Doctoral or professional degree	2	92
Human resources specialists	8	Bachelor's degree	2	18
Managers, all other	6	Bachelor's degree	5	20
Elementary school teachers, except special education	4	Bachelor's degree	3	48
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products	4	High school diploma or equivalent	2	8
Customer service representatives	-4	High school diploma or equivalent	2	4
Chief executives	-7	Bachelor's degree	2	30
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 January 18, 2023).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 8, 2022