Ethnic / Gender Studies degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in ethnic / gender studies earn a median $51,565 four years after finishing, across 103 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 103 colleges; middle half $46,990–$56,880.
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 ethnic / gender 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).
Ethnic / Gender 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $51,565 (3) | — |
| California | $55,219 (22) | $56,213 (366) |
| Connecticut | $48,810 (6) | — |
| Georgia | $43,975 (3) | — |
| Illinois | $48,097 (6) | — |
| Massachusetts | $59,843 (5) | — |
| Michigan | $51,872 (3) | — |
| Minnesota | $50,000 (4) | — |
| New Jersey | $55,164 (4) | — |
| New York | $51,565 (9) | $66,117 (167) |
| North Carolina | $54,691 (3) | — |
| Oregon | $50,421 (3) | — |
| Washington | $57,534 (5) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where ethnic / gender studies graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 8 in Florida, 7 in Virginia, 47 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 | $67,291 | $15,740 |
| 2 | Sonoma State UniversityCA | $64,116 | $19,187 |
| 3 | San Francisco State UniversityCA | $59,990 | $17,875 |
| 4 | University of California-Santa BarbaraCA | $59,004 | $13,500 |
| 5 | University of California-DavisCA | $58,670 | $14,155 |
| 6 | University of VirginiaVA | $57,646 | $14,100 |
| 7 | California State University-East BayCA | $57,145 | $18,638 |
| 8 | University of California-RiversideCA | $56,555 | $23,000 |
| 9 | California State University-SacramentoCA | $56,188 | $18,120 |
| 10 | California State University-Los AngelesCA | $55,970 | $22,500 |
| 11 | University of California-Santa CruzCA | $55,798 | $19,747 |
| 12 | San Diego State UniversityCA | $55,230 | $20,499 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Ethnic / Gender Studies degree questions
How much do Ethnic / Gender Studies graduates make?
Ethnic / Gender Studies graduates earn a median $51,565 four years after finishing, across 103 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $46,990 to $56,880; 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 Ethnic / Gender 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 Ethnic / Gender 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: “Ethnic / Gender Studies degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/ethnic-gender-studies.