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Field of degree: Interdisciplinary studies

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Interdisciplinary studies field of degree. Employment: 528,700. Median annual wage: $50,000.

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Table 1. Interdisciplinary studies degree, 2018
Data	Interdisciplinary studies	All fields
Employment	528,700	55,381,020
Median wage	$50,000	$59,000
Percent employed part time	18	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	60	59
Percent with an advanced degree	42	37
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 1. Types of interdisciplinary studies majors, 2018
Interdisciplinary studies majors	Major share
Intercultural and international studies	26%
Nutrition sciences	25
Interdisciplinary social sciences	23
Multi/interdisciplinary studies	18
Cognitive science and biopsychology	4
Other	4
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with an interdisciplinary studies degree, by occupational group, 2018
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	15%
Management occupations	15
Educational instruction and library occupations	14
Office and administrative support occupations	9
Business and financial operations occupations	8
Other	38
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with an interdisciplinary studies degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2019–29	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2018	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2018
Software developers and software quality assurance analysts and testers	22%	Bachelor's degree	2%	33%
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	21	Doctoral or professional degree	3	74
Dietitians and nutritionists	8	Bachelor's degree	6	36
Registered nurses	7	Bachelor's degree	2	12
Elementary school teachers, except special education	4	Bachelor's degree	7	50
Lawyers	4	Doctoral or professional degree	3	93
Physicians, all other; and ophthalmologists, except pediatric	4	Doctoral or professional degree	2	100
Personal service managers, all other; entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling; and managers, all other	-2	Bachelor's degree	3	21
Customer service representatives	-2	High school diploma or equivalent	2	4
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive	-10	High school diploma or equivalent	1	4
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: Interdisciplinary studies,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/interdisciplinary-studies/interdisciplinary-studies-field-of-degree.htm (visited July 14, 2021).

Last Modified Date: Monday, November 30, 2020