Best Jobs For Humanities Majors by Salary Potential

You’ve earned your humanities degree. Now what? Browse these common jobs for humanities majors by earning potential.

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RankJob TitleMost Common Major% Workers with MajorMid-Career Pay
% High Job Meaning
Rank:1Job Title:Proposal ManagerMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:26%Mid-Career Pay:$87,700% High Job Meaning:50%
Rank:2Job Title:Content Marketing ManagerMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:29%Mid-Career Pay:$77,300% High Job Meaning:31%
Rank:3Job Title:Content StrategistMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:22%Mid-Career Pay:$72,600% High Job Meaning:39%
Rank:4Job Title:Director of DevelopmentMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:21%Mid-Career Pay:$72,300% High Job Meaning:92%
Rank:5Job Title:Technical WriterMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:19%Mid-Career Pay:$69,600% High Job Meaning:49%
Rank:6Job Title:Proposal WriterMost Common Major:English Language & Literature% Workers with Major:16%Mid-Career Pay:$68,200% High Job Meaning:53%
Rank:7Job Title:Sign Language InterpreterMost Common Major:American Sign Language Interpreting% Workers with Major:43%Mid-Career Pay:$68,000% High Job Meaning:-
Rank:8Job Title:Managing EditorMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:37%Mid-Career Pay:$67,400% High Job Meaning:40%
Rank:9Job Title:WriterMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:24%Mid-Career Pay:$65,500% High Job Meaning:57%
Rank:10Job Title:Content ManagerMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:21%Mid-Career Pay:$65,100% High Job Meaning:44%
Rank:11Job Title:CopywriterMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:25%Mid-Career Pay:$61,600% High Job Meaning:24%
Rank:12Job Title:Web Content EditorMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:26%Mid-Career Pay:$60,600% High Job Meaning:47%
Rank:13Job Title:Publications EditorMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:29%Mid-Career Pay:$59,600% High Job Meaning:41%
Rank:14Job Title:Grant WriterMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:27%Mid-Career Pay:$58,100% High Job Meaning:96%
Rank:15Job Title:Fundraising ManagerMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:18%Mid-Career Pay:$57,700% High Job Meaning:81%
Rank:16Job Title:Web Content SpecialistMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:25%Mid-Career Pay:$56,100% High Job Meaning:32%
Rank:17Job Title:ProofreaderMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:25%Mid-Career Pay:$55,900% High Job Meaning:51%
Rank:18Job Title:Content WriterMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:23%Mid-Career Pay:$54,600% High Job Meaning:40%
Rank:19Job Title:Paralegal / Legal AssistantMost Common Major:History% Workers with Major:17%Mid-Career Pay:$54,300% High Job Meaning:50%
Rank:20Job Title:TutorMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:11%Mid-Career Pay:$50,600% High Job Meaning:85%
Rank:21Job Title:Secondary School TeacherMost Common Major:History% Workers with Major:24%Mid-Career Pay:$50,100% High Job Meaning:89%
Rank:22Job Title:PastorMost Common Major:Bible Studies & Theology% Workers with Major:11%Mid-Career Pay:$50,000% High Job Meaning:96%
Rank:23Job Title:Middle School TeacherMost Common Major:History% Workers with Major:22%Mid-Career Pay:$49,700% High Job Meaning:82%
Rank:24Job Title:News ReporterMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:18%Mid-Career Pay:$49,600% High Job Meaning:62%
Rank:25Job Title:Editorial AssistantMost Common Major:English Literature% Workers with Major:29%Mid-Career Pay:$47,500% High Job Meaning:61%

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College Student

Students who pick a bachelors in humanities (English, history, sociology, foreign languages, etc.) are known for their sharp analytical skills, but how does a nuanced understanding of nineteenth-century literature translate into a paycheck once you’re out of college? A bachelor’s in humanities offers a number of career paths that require right brain thinking and have high earning potential. Creativity and critical thinking skills are valuable assets to many employers, especially when supplemented with additional technical skills or training.

A surprising number of Senior Marketing Directors hold a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. With a median mid-career salary of more than $100,000, that’s a good argument to use against anybody who says English is a waste of time. Other popular, high-paying jobs popular with English majors are Executive Editor, Content Strategist, Editorial Director, and Senior Technical Writer.

Just because your degree is in the humanities, it doesn’t mean that you should never set foot in the computer science department. In fact, picking up a few tech skills can really pay off. For example, a Copywriter who aspires to work online, would, unsurprisingly, benefit from basic proficiency in blogging, HTML, or content management.

Other popular and profitable positions for humanities majors that benefit from some familiarity with a computer include Content Marketing Manager, Web Producer, and Content Strategist.