English degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in english earn a median $48,948 four years after finishing, across 571 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in english language and literature earn $50,762, $11,287 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is elementary and middle school teachers (5%).
Median across 571 colleges; middle half $43,733–$54,570.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $32,488–$75,765. 8,911 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "English Language And Literature"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$15,124/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs english graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in english language and literature 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 5% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Other Managers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Secondary School Teachers | 3% | $70,930 | -0.2% | — | — |
| Writers And Authors | 3% | $76,910 | -0.3% | Bachelor's degree | AE |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| Marketing Managers | 2% | $166,790 | +6.9% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Retail Sales Workers | 2% | $48,520 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent | ECS |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 2% | $47,540 | -6.0% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
These 8 jobs account for 24% 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).
English 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,923 (9) | — |
| Arizona | $48,060 (4) | $47,730 (117) |
| Arkansas | $45,210 (6) | — |
| California | $54,743 (42) | $62,946 (1,285) |
| Colorado | $46,154 (11) | $50,375 (226) |
| Connecticut | $55,376 (16) | $53,696 (143) |
| District of Columbia | $73,929 (3) | — |
| Florida | $47,087 (12) | $47,659 (390) |
| Georgia | $45,824 (14) | $48,923 (234) |
| Idaho | $38,734 (4) | — |
| Illinois | $48,442 (21) | $53,625 (359) |
| Indiana | $40,418 (14) | $46,364 (134) |
| Iowa | $47,984 (6) | — |
| Kansas | $46,616 (6) | — |
| Kentucky | $41,383 (9) | $38,580 (100) |
| Louisiana | $41,936 (7) | — |
| Maine | $47,324 (4) | — |
| Maryland | $50,126 (13) | $59,662 (215) |
| Massachusetts | $53,374 (30) | $61,450 (313) |
| Michigan | $48,101 (13) | $46,177 (230) |
| Minnesota | $46,740 (13) | $52,473 (137) |
| Mississippi | $39,214 (3) | — |
| Missouri | $38,806 (10) | $52,503 (136) |
| Nebraska | $48,296 (3) | — |
| Nevada | $48,773 (3) | — |
| New Hampshire | $52,697 (7) | — |
| New Jersey | $56,715 (19) | $61,101 (331) |
| New York | $54,864 (48) | $63,242 (974) |
| North Carolina | $46,008 (13) | $40,610 (250) |
| Ohio | $41,987 (33) | $43,347 (233) |
| Oklahoma | $43,494 (5) | — |
| Oregon | $43,342 (9) | $43,993 (182) |
| Pennsylvania | $50,299 (41) | $43,571 (342) |
| Rhode Island | $59,130 (4) | — |
| South Carolina | $42,083 (10) | — |
| Tennessee | $46,342 (11) | $45,686 (178) |
| Texas | $48,761 (31) | $51,391 (566) |
| Utah | $47,005 (7) | $48,881 (131) |
| Virginia | $49,024 (17) | $55,839 (309) |
| Washington | $50,718 (10) | $58,657 (234) |
| West Virginia | $39,852 (4) | — |
| Wisconsin | $46,560 (12) | $53,523 (132) |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where english graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 28 in Florida, 38 in Virginia, 66 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 | Stanford UniversityCA | $82,036 | — |
| 2 | University of San DiegoCA | $68,752 | $24,000 |
| 3 | Loyola Marymount UniversityCA | $66,806 | $22,565 |
| 4 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVA | $64,225 | $21,625 |
| 5 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA | $63,413 | $23,956 |
| 6 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $60,187 | $13,500 |
| 7 | Sonoma State UniversityCA | $59,418 | $18,239 |
| 8 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA | $59,345 | $7,875 |
| 9 | University of California-Santa BarbaraCA | $59,334 | $17,550 |
| 10 | National UniversityCA | $59,192 | $26,437 |
| 11 | University of California-DavisCA | $59,012 | $13,900 |
| 12 | University of California-MercedCA | $58,623 | $24,000 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
English degree questions
How much do English graduates make?
English graduates earn a median $48,948 four years after finishing, across 571 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $43,733 to $54,570; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in english language and literature, the median is $50,762 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a English degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in english language and literature earn a median $50,762: $11,287 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $15,124 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do English graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in english language and literature, the most common jobs are elementary and middle school teachers (5%), other managers (3%), secondary school teachers (3%). Elementary And Middle School Teachers earn a U.S. median $64,170.
How much do English graduates earn in Florida?
Across 12 Florida colleges reporting, English graduates earn a median $47,087 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $47,659.
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: “English degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/english.