Field of degree: Foreign language
Table 1. Foreign language degree, 2023
Data |
Foreign language |
All fields |
Employment
|
870,640 |
63,725,710 |
Median wage
|
66,000 |
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
|
51 |
38 |
Chart 1. Types of foreign language, 2023
Foreign language majors |
Major share |
French German Latin And Other Common Foreign Language Studies
|
66% |
Linguistics And Comparative Language And Literature
|
18 |
Other Foreign Languages
|
16 |
Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a foreign language degree, by occupational group, 2023
Occupational group |
Occupational group share |
Educational instruction and library occupations
|
20% |
Management occupations
|
17 |
Business and financial operations occupations
|
10 |
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
|
7 |
Office and administrative support occupations
|
7 |
Other
|
38 |
Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a foreign language 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
|
5% |
49% |
-2% |
Bachelor's degree |
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
|
5 |
74 |
17 |
Doctoral or professional degree |
Lawyers
|
5 |
91 |
4 |
Doctoral or professional degree |
Managers, all other
|
5 |
21 |
4 |
Bachelor's degree |
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
|
4 |
56 |
-2 |
Bachelor's degree |
Physicians, all other
|
2 |
100 |
3 |
Doctoral or professional degree |
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
|
2 |
56 |
-2 |
Master's degree |
Software developers
|
2 |
32 |
16 |
Bachelor's degree |
Management analysts
|
1 |
36 |
9 |
Bachelor's degree |
Chief executives
|
1 |
32 |
4 |
Bachelor's degree |
Last Modified Date:
Thursday, August 28, 2025