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Field of degree: English

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English field of degree. Employment: 1,815,820. Median annual wage: $56,000.

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Table 1. English degree, 2021
Data	English	All fields
Employment	1,815,820	59,687,450
Median wage	56,000	63,000
Percent employed part time	19	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	62	62
Percent with an advanced degree	48	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 1. Types of English, 2021
English majors	Major share
English Language And Literature	92%
Composition And Rhetoric	8
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 an English degree, by occupational group, 2021.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with an English degree, by occupational group, 2021
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Educational instruction and library occupations	21%
Management occupations	16
Business and financial operations occupations	9
Office and administrative support occupations	9
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	9
Other	36
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 an English degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with an English 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
Lawyers	8%	Doctoral or professional degree	6%	91%
Postsecondary teachers, all other	4	Doctoral or professional degree	5	72
Writers and authors	4	Bachelor's degree	2	31
Librarians and media collections specialists	3	Master's degree	2	57
Managers, all other	3	Bachelor's degree	4	21
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	1	Master's degree	2	57
Elementary school teachers, except special education	1	Bachelor's degree	6	49
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	1	Bachelor's degree	5	55
Editors	-4	Bachelor's degree	2	27
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: English,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/english/english-field-of-degree.htm (visited September 07, 2023).

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023