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Field of degree: English

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English field of degree. Employment: 1,878,040. Median annual wage: $60,000.

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Table 1. English degree, 2022
Data	English	All fields
Employment	1,878,040	62,187,580
Median wage	60,000	66,000
Percent employed part time	19	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	63	62
Percent with an advanced degree	47	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 1. Types of English, 2022
English majors	Major share
English Language And Literature	91%
Composition And Rhetoric	9
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, 2022.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with an English degree, by occupational group, 2022
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Educational instruction and library occupations	21%
Management occupations	17
Business and financial operations occupations	10
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	8
Office and administrative support occupations	8
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 2023–33	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2022	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2022
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	19%	Doctoral or professional degree	5%	72%
Managers, all other	6	Bachelor's degree	4	21
Chief executives	5	Bachelor's degree	2	31
Lawyers	5	Doctoral or professional degree	6	92
Writers and authors	5	Bachelor's degree	2	31
Librarians and media collections specialists	3	Master's degree	2	59
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	-1	Master's degree	3	56
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	4	56
Editors	-2	Bachelor's degree	2	26
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 May 15, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 29, 2024