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Field of degree: English

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English field of degree. Employment: 1,943,540. Median annual wage: $60,000.

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Table 1. English degree, 2023
Data	English	All fields
Employment	1,943,540	63,725,710
Median wage	60,000	70,000
Percent employed part time	19	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	63	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, 2023
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, 2023.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with an English degree, by occupational group, 2023
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Educational instruction and library occupations	21%
Management occupations	17
Business and financial operations occupations	9
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	9
Office and administrative support 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
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
Elementary school teachers, except special education	6%	49%	-2%	Bachelor's degree
Lawyers	5	91	4	Doctoral or professional degree
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	5	74	17	Doctoral or professional degree
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	4	56	-2	Bachelor's degree
Managers, all other	4	21	4	Bachelor's degree
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	3	56	-2	Master's degree
Writers and authors	2	31	4	Bachelor's degree
Chief executives	2	32	4	Bachelor's degree
Editors	2	27	1	Bachelor's degree
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive	2	5	-2	High school diploma or equivalent
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 August 28, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025