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Field of degree: Communications

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Communications field of degree. Employment: 3,079,130. Median annual wage: $65,000.

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Table 1. Communications degree, 2023
Data	Communications	All fields
Employment	3,079,130	63,725,710
Median wage	65,000	70,000
Percent employed part time	14	15
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, 2023.

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Chart 1. Types of communications, 2023
Communications majors	Major share
Communications	54%
Journalism	18
Mass Media	16
Advertising And Public Relations	12
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, 2023.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a communications degree, by occupational group, 2023
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	23%
Business and financial operations occupations	13
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	11
Sales and related occupations	11
Office and administrative support occupations	10
Other	32
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
Occupation	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2023	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2023	Percent growth, projected 2024–34	Typical entry-level education
Managers, all other	5%	21%	4%	Bachelor's degree
Marketing managers	4	24	7	Bachelor's degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	3	49	-2	Bachelor's degree
Market research analysts and marketing specialists	2	22	7	Bachelor's degree
Customer service representatives	2	4	-5	High school diploma or equivalent
Chief executives	2	32	4	Bachelor's degree
Human resources specialists	2	20	6	Bachelor's degree
Lawyers	2	91	4	Doctoral or professional degree
Producers and directors	2	18	5	Bachelor's degree
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	2	56	-2	Master's degree
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 August 28, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025