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Field of degree: Communications

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Communications field of degree. Employment: 2,629,340. Median annual wage: $50,000.

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Table 1. Communications degree, 2018
Data	Communications	All fields
Employment	2,629,340	55,381,020
Median wage	$50,000	$59,000
Percent employed part time	15	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	51	59
Percent with an advanced degree	23	37
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 1. Types of communications majors, 2018
Communications majors	Major share
Communications	55%
Journalism	20
Mass media	14
Advertising and public relations	11
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a communications degree, by occupational group, 2018
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	19%
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	13
Sales and related occupations	12
Business and financial operations occupations	12
Office and administrative support occupations	11
Other	33
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a communications degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2019–29	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2018	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2018
Market research analysts and marketing specialists	18%	Bachelor's degree	2%	23%
Marketing managers	7	Bachelor's degree	3	24
Human resources specialists	7	Bachelor's degree	2	18
Elementary school teachers, except special education	4	Bachelor's degree	4	50
Lawyers	4	Doctoral or professional degree	2	93
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products	1	High school diploma or equivalent	2	8
Retail salespersons	-1	No formal educational credential	2	4
Personal service managers, all other; entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling; and managers, all other	-2	Bachelor's degree	5	21
Customer service representatives	-2	High school diploma or equivalent	2	4
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers	-5	High school diploma or equivalent	2	5
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Communications,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/communications/communications-field-of-degree.htm (visited August 10, 2021).

Last Modified Date: Monday, November 30, 2020