Area Studies degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in area studies earn a median $57,208 four years after finishing, across 70 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in area ethnic and civilization studies earn $52,473, $9,576 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is other managers (4%).
Median across 70 colleges; middle half $49,872–$66,117.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $33,503–$83,527. 1,517 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Area Ethnic And Civilization Studies"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$16,835/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs area studies graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in area ethnic and civilization studies actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Managers | 4% | — | — | — | — |
| Social And Community Service Managers | 3% | $80,390 | +7.2% | Bachelor's degree | ESC |
| Marketing Managers | 3% | $166,790 | +6.9% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 2% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 2% | $47,540 | -6.0% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Retail Sales Workers | 2% | $48,520 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent | ECS |
| Social Workers, All Other | 2% | $71,900 | +2.3% | Bachelor's degree | — |
These 8 jobs account for 21% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Area Studies earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| California | $51,247 (8) | $56,213 (366) |
| Connecticut | $48,093 (8) | — |
| Massachusetts | $54,306 (5) | — |
| New York | $66,117 (7) | $66,117 (167) |
| Virginia | $65,970 (3) | — |
| Washington | $56,926 (5) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where area studies graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 12 in Florida, 14 in Virginia, 38 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $70,366 | $14,972 |
| 2 | William & MaryVA | $68,909 | $15,250 |
| 3 | Florida State UniversityFL | $67,110 | — |
| 4 | University of VirginiaVA | $65,970 | $23,000 |
| 5 | University of California-Santa BarbaraCA | $59,042 | $22,697 |
| 6 | California State University-NorthridgeCA | $53,077 | — |
| 7 | University of California-Los AngelesCA | $51,755 | $17,746 |
| 8 | California State University-FullertonCA | $50,739 | $17,500 |
| 9 | California State University-Long BeachCA | $50,071 | $15,697 |
| 10 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVA | $45,852 | $23,500 |
| 11 | California State University-ChicoCA | $41,818 | $16,375 |
| 12 | University of California-RiversideCA | $39,039 | — |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Area Studies degree questions
How much do Area Studies graduates make?
Area Studies graduates earn a median $57,208 four years after finishing, across 70 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $49,872 to $66,117; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in area ethnic and civilization studies, the median is $52,473 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Area Studies degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in area ethnic and civilization studies earn a median $52,473: $9,576 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $16,835 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Area Studies graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in area ethnic and civilization studies, the most common jobs are other managers (4%), social and community service managers (3%), marketing managers (3%).
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Area Studies degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/area-studies.