Future Jobs
Advertising Manager
If you are looking to make a lot of money with your English major, take an English major job in advertising and work your way to advertising manager. This career is certainly tough, requiring you to develop every aspect of advertising, from budgets to conceptions to execution. You’ll guide research, create long and short-term plans, and meet with clients to provide advice or sell your services. Add in hiring talent and negotiating prices, and you have a full career that will keep you plenty busy. But don’t worry, you’ll be rewarded! The average advertising manager makes $127,560 a year, making it one of the best jobs for English majors. The top 10% will make roughly $208,000, creating even greater earning potential. The job also has consistent growth, sitting at 9% between 2014 and 2024
Lawyer
The career will require extensive legal education, but majoring in English at the graduate level is an excellent start before law school. Lawyers need to communicate effectively with people from many different backgrounds and many different levels of education. They not only need to discuss cases with their clients, who likely don’t understand “legalese,” they also need to talk with partnering and opposing attorneys, as well as judges. This career makes $118,160 per year, while the top 10% will bring in more than $208,000. The career growth is expected to be at 6%, which is just under the national average.
Writers and Authors
A command of language arts skills can lead to a career as a writer and author. This career field provides a lot of writing and research options, ranging from biographers and novelists to screenwriters, songwriters, and playwrights. In addition, advertising agencies, newspapers, magazines, and online media outlets hire writers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, the median annual salary for writers and authors is $55,420, and the educational requirement is usually a bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, or communications.
College Professors
Another good career choice if you have mastered language arts is that of a college professor. Whether these post-secondary teachers specialize in physics, history, or accounting, they need strong language arts skills to prepare lesson plans and effectively communicate with students. College professors also publish academic articles and books. The median average salary for postsecondary teachers is $62,050, according to the BLS. The educational requirement is generally a doctor’s degree in the specialty area, although a master’s degree may suffice for teaching at community and technical colleges.
TV Reporters, Correspondents, and Broadcast News Analysts
Language arts skills can also be used in a career as a TV reporter, correspondent, or broadcast news analyst. These people work for local, national, or international news agencies, where they research and report on news, investigative topics, and feature stories. The BLS states that the median annual salary for TV reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts is $36,000 and the educational requirement is generally a bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, English, or political science. The BLS also predicts, however, that the number of these jobs will decrease through 2020.
Court Reporters
While speaking is not an essential language arts skill for court reporters, listening and writing are paramount for success in this career, according to the BLS. Court reporters must capture conversations, speeches, meetings, and legal proceedings word-for-word. Then, they edit these transcripts, correcting any errors. Regarding educational requirements, court reporters who use steno masks -- which are microphones placed over the speaker's mouth -- and digital recording generally attend community or technical colleges for six months to obtain a certificate. However, reporters who use a stenotype machine usually get an associate degree, reports the BLS. The median annual salary for court reporters is $47,700.