Worried about what to do with your liberal arts degree? You don’t have to be. Liberal arts degrees are very handy and versatile, allowing access to a wide variety of career fields. If you ask yourself, “what can I do with a liberal arts degree?” – look no further. The following are 9 careers open to liberal arts majors.
Perhaps the most common solution to any student asking “what can I do with a liberal arts degree?” is to pursue a career in teaching. No matter your interests, you can easily find your place in the field of education. Whether you aspire to become a university professor or a kindergarten teacher, your liberal arts education will come in handy. Educators earn anything between $30,000 and $120,000 yearly. Working in education also has the added perk of having longer summer and winter holidays, which can mean more time to be with family, travel the world or pursue other interests.
If your liberal arts focus is with a foreign language, you may want to consider pursuing a career as either an interpreter or translator. Not only is this a rewarding career, it can come with quite a bit of flexibility. As an independent translator, you can make your own schedule and be your own boss. Also, a lot of interpreters are able to easily find jobs abroad or travel through work.
If you can think critically about the world and are conscientious about your impact, don’t ask yourself “what can I do with a liberal arts degree?” With social work as a career option, liberal arts majors can feel like they are making a difference while they use their talents to contribute to society. Many social workers earn their degrees in the liberal arts, like in sociology or psychology. The non-profit sector is a great place to put that education to good use.
Studying liberal arts leads many students to a career in Marketing or PR. Mixing creativity, communication and analytical skills, marketing and public relations can be a wonderful fit for liberal arts majors. For these careers, one of the best ways to get a foot in the door can be through internships. The median salary of a public relations specialist is some $57,000.
The field of human resources offers a dynamic work environment and career stability for the humanists out there. Strong communicators with a background in sociology or psychology should consider human resources as a solid, dependable field with a reliable income.
Economists are among the highest paid professionals with a background in Liberal Arts. Their services are sought after within many different industries and can be found nearly everywhere. An economist can work in colleges & universities, banks and private companies just to name a few. Economics is, after all, a social science of human behavior. Economist’s salaries range from $40,000 to $200,000.
Many liberal arts students may end up pursuing web development, which is a career in high demand and requires training that can be obtained outside of the college classroom. A career in web developing can be full of rewarding experiences, including the ability to create tangible and meaningful content. Web developers make around $65,000 on average.
For history-lovers, being an archivist is an excellent option. The average median salary is $46,000. This career does require an advanced degree, but a liberal arts degree will get you most of the way there.
Liberal arts can also be a stepping stone towards social sciences, including psychology. Psychology can be a rewarding career, offering stability and a strong sense of accomplishment. There are also the added benefits of a flexible schedule and the self-reward of helping people overcome problems in their life.
Sources: https://www.internationalstudent.com/study-liberal-arts/, http://mycollegeguide.org/articles/liberal-arts-degrees/see-all-you-can-do-with-a-degree-in-liberal-arts, http://www.collegeranker.com/liberal-arts-degree-jobs/, https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/jobs-for-liberal-arts-majors-1116, https://www.forbes.com/sites/emsi/2016/10/19/what-can-you-do-with-that-useless-liberal-arts-degree/#19496a641b89, https://www.learnhowtobecome.org/teacher/
1. based on PVCC Graduation 2017, by Piedmont Virginia Community College, CC-by-2.0
2. based on College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (Currently Levan Hall), by Richie Diesterheft, CC-by-2.0
3. based on conference, by lee, CC-by-2.0