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Field of degree: Philosophy and religion

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Philosophy and religion field of degree. Employment: 543,810. Median annual wage: $65,000.

Table 1. Philosophy and religion degree, 2023.

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Table 1. Philosophy and religion degree, 2023
Data	Philosophy and religion	All fields
Employment	543,810	63,725,710
Median wage	65,000	70,000
Percent employed part time	18	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	67	62
Percent with an advanced degree	59	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of philosophy and religion major, 2023.

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Chart 1. Types of philosophy and religion, 2023
Philosophy and religion major	Major share
Philosophy And Religious Studies	100%
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 a philosophy and religion degree, by occupational group, 2023.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a philosophy and religion degree, by occupational group, 2023
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	16%
Educational instruction and library occupations	15
Legal occupations	11
Community and social service occupations	10
Business and financial operations occupations	9
Other	40
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 a philosophy and religion degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a philosophy and religion 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
Lawyers	10%	91%	4%	Doctoral or professional degree
Clergy	7	48	1	Bachelor's degree
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	6	74	17	Doctoral or professional degree
Managers, all other	4	21	4	Bachelor's degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	3	49	-2	Bachelor's degree
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	2	56	-2	Bachelor's degree
Physicians, all other	2	100	3	Doctoral or professional degree
Chief executives	2	32	4	Bachelor's degree
Software developers	2	32	16	Bachelor's degree
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	2	56	-2	Master's degree
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: Philosophy and religion,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/philosophy-and-religion/philosophy-and-religion-field-of-degree.htm (visited September 24, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025