21 High Paying Jobs for English Majors

Finding high-paying jobs for English majors wouldn’t require many struggles if you majored in English.

According to Babbel, out of the world’s approximately 7.8 billion inhabitants, 1.35 billion speak English. The majority aren’t native English speakers, however. About 360 million people speak English as their first language.

Hence, with English being a popular language for many people and businesses, your desire to find a well-paying job becomes achievable.

What is an English Major?
What Skills Do I Need To Get an English Major?
21 High-Paying Jobs for English Majors in 2024
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What is an English Major?

The study of English has evolved over the years but has never ceased to be important in many professional settings. English students’ roles in the workforce after graduation are exciting and varied.

In addition to developing traditional skills, such as exploring literary masterworks and learning to critique literature, English majors have opportunities to become talented writers with communication skills that can benefit nearly every industry.

In today’s digital landscape, where communication is more vital than ever, businesses and organizations increasingly turn to English majors to support their marketing, sales, technical writing, public relations, and professional development divisions.

Increasingly, opportunities are growing for this versatile and rewarding field of study in the digital age.

What Skills Do I Need To Get an English Major?

Writing

Writing is something that English majors learn to do well. Employers from all walks of life recognize the value of skilled writers in attracting and retaining customers; for companies that market on the Internet, great writers are a prerequisite.

English majors, particularly professional writers, are skilled at writing and copy editing email communications, technical documents, business writing, marketing copy, proposals and presentations, and various other tasks.

They write with clarity and grace and have a knack for finding the right word or phrase.

Research

English majors learn how to conduct thorough research. Companies require people that can conduct in-depth research, sift information to select the best sources, use evidence to support claims, and convey information effectively and concisely in order to stay current and innovate.

Critical Thinking

English majors are taught the critical and theoretical skills required to read critically and write rationally.

Even in dense and complex texts, kids learn to discern relevant from irrelevant and important from inconsequential information, and they can easily detect bias, logical mistakes, and unstated assumptions. These are talents that can be used in any professional context.

Communication

English majors learn to read widely, talk fluently, and have a large vocabulary; they succeed in jobs requiring regular communication with people inside and outside the workplace. English majors can summarize, infer, compare, exhibit, categorize, and explain information.

Empathy

English majors learn to look at topics from various angles and interpret them with gender, ethnicity, class, and sexuality in mind.

Employers seek personnel who are sensitive to the needs of their clients and coworkers. Author George Anders recently discovered over a thousand job postings for high-paying jobs in which empathy was listed as a required skill.

Time Management & Organization

English majors thrive under pressure, learning to research, read, and write in stages while managing deadlines.

They organize information, parse it, and organize their thoughts in a logical manner. These abilities are in high demand across the board.

Editing & Proofreading

English majors develop a keen eye for detail, the ability to spot errors, and the ability to write messages in various situations.

Corporate style and identity are also taught to professional writers. Employers know that poor writing negatively affects the organization, and errors cost millions of dollars annually.

Originality and Creativity

English majors learn to cite and document sources to avoid plagiarism, so employers don’t have to be concerned about the integrity of their business communications and publications.

English majors also like creating unique interpretations and inventive solutions to difficult challenges. These abilities, according to employers, are essential for innovation.

21 High-Paying Jobs for English Majors in 2024

1. Internal Communications Executive

National average salary: $81,635 per year

All employees within an organization are communicated with accurately and efficiently by internal communications personnel. Through different communication means, such as emails, reports, bulletins, social media, and newsletters, they strive to motivate and inform employees.

Employees might get information about company goals, policies, human resources, and other vital information they need for their jobs. Leadership, analysis, and organization skills are essential for executives in internal communications.

2. Brand Strategist

National average salary: $70,893 per year

A brand strategist contributes to a marketing team to create and deliver a consistent and effective brand for a company’s products.

Their responsibilities include overseeing a brand’s images and tone. Market researchers and marketing plan creators must often be creative, detail-oriented, and perform market research.

3. Lawyer

National average salary: $70,280 per year

Lawyers are legal experts who can use their knowledge of the legal system. They can be government prosecutors or defenders or specialize in civil issues such as divorce, contracts, intellectual property, or many other fields. Lawyers need to attend law school, and many earn an undergraduate degree in English to prepare them for that further study.

4. Research Analyst

National average salary: $67,398 per year

A research analyst finds, analyses, interprets, and presents data often for market research to identify industry trends and client needs within a specific sector. Depending on their specializations, they can hold full-time or independent consultant positions within companies and work in any industry. Researchers need analytical, research, and communication skills besides an acute sense of detail.

5. English Professor

National average salary: $66,996 per year

Faculty members of English departments teach literature, composition, and literary theory. Besides developing curricula, creating assignments, grading them, and communicating with the students about their academic progress, they also develop their course curricula. Often, they also write articles for academic journals and conduct research. A university professor of English typically needs a Ph.D. in English and usually a specialization in literature.

6. Publisher

National average salary: $59,488 per year

Publishing companies order content, accept and approve submissions, arrange writer contracts, oversee editing and design, and promote sales. A publisher may work in various industries, including publishing books, producing magazines, or producing online content.

Their books are categorized by genres, such as novels, journal articles, or biographies, or by subjects like science or poetry.

7. Librarian

National average salary: $56,757 per year

A librarian is a professional in the field of information science responsible for finding and organizing information for individuals. In a public library, a school, a university faculty member, or a government agency, librarians specialize in research. A bachelor’s degree in English is good preparation for the Master of Information Science degree that librarians often need.

8. Content Manager

National average salary: $56,411 per year

The content manager oversees the production and presence of content on a website. Their task includes conducting research, sourcing, writing, editing, posting new material, and updating or removing outdated material.

They are responsible for ensuring that the site’s content is accurate, current, and interesting to a target audience, whether working alone or leading a team of writers and editors. A content manager should be creative, analytical, and have excellent communication skills.

9. Public Relations Manager

National average salary: $54,375 per year

Communication with the public is among the most important tasks of public relations managers. Organizations, governments, and individuals can hire them. Public relations managers build their client’s image through press releases, media preparation, and information sources.

The marketing or promotion plan may also include identifying target audiences. Public relations managers may oversee a small or large staff of communications employees, depending on their employer.

10. Human Resources Generalist

National average salary: $54,094 per year

In a firm’s HR department, human resources generalists assist with recruiting and hiring employees and informing employees about employment benefits. They create and publish company policies and procedures and implement training procedures.

A human resources generalist may also conduct or assist with performance reviews, facilitate communications between staff and supervisors, and perform other duties. Communication and organization skills are crucial in professionals with these skills.

11. Paralegal

National average salary: $50,175 per year

A paralegal assists a lawyer. In legal research, they may examine laws, court decisions, and precedents, compile data, compile and organize information, draft legal documents, and investigate the facts involved in a legal case.

By finding and presenting information, they assist lawyers in preparing for trials. Specific paralegal skills include detail-oriented, research, investigative, organizational, and communication.

National average salary: $47,884 per year

A company’s social media manager will use social media platforms to promote its products or services through online marketing strategies. Through online conversations and engagement with the community, they use social media to develop relationships with customers beyond typical marketing and advertising.

Online content strategists create, publish, and promote content. Creative, empathic, and interpersonal skills combined with good communication skills are important qualities in social media managers.

13. Communications Officer

National average salary: $47,562 per year

The media and the public communicate accurately with their employer with the help of communications officers. Incorporates ideas and creates and distributes content to spread awareness of a business, organization, or individual.

Communicating with executives, managers, and journalists requires excellent interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills.

14. High School English teacher

National average salary: $47,488 per year

English teachers in high schools teach students reading, writing, researching, and studying grammar. Educators plan and design lessons, provide direct classroom instruction, create and grade assessments, and keep students and their parents informed about their educational progress.

A teaching license is required by every public school in the United States and many private schools as well, and the requirements differ by state.

15. Reporter

National average salary: $40,523 per year

Journalists and reporters write and report news stories. Many areas of specialization are available, including politics, sports, social issues, crime, and entertainment. Researching information and interviewing require investigative skills. They might accept assignments from employers or develop their ideas to pursue stories. You can work as a reporter for a newspaper, magazine, radio station, V station, or online.

16. Marketing Associate

National average salary: $44,828 per year

To assist marketing managers, marketing associates perform day-to-day tasks in a company’s marketing department or an advertising agency. Their duties often include researching marketing trends, writing and proofreading copy, and performing administrative tasks.

17. Writer

National average salary: $24.03 per hour

Many types of writing are available to writers. Their type of writing can range from novels, speeches, or poetry to blogs, how-to articles, advice columns, and other company communications. Many companies employ freelancers and full-time staff writers. Writing effectively requires vision, creativity, exceptional attention to detail and written communication skills.

18. Technical Writer

National average salary: $20.10 per hour

It is the job of technical writers to take highly complex and technical information and communicate it in a way that is easy to understand. To assist people in comprehending difficult subjects, they write user guides, how-to guides, and other informational pieces, plus they can make diagrams.

Besides working in information technology, scientific research, and engineering, they can also work in other fields. Writing technical content requires excellent communication skills and comprehension of highly complex material.

19. Editor

National average salary: $17.46 per hour

Editors edit publication materials. Their tasks may include reviewing materials and judging their public interest, offering writers suggestions, proofreading material for errors, and even assisting with publication.

Any industry that produces written material can hire editors, such as magazines, book publishers, marketing firms, or online content agencies. Writing skills, including grammar and writing styles, and excellent attention to detail are required.

20. Production Assistant

National average salary: $13.48 per hour

A production assistant works in film and television and performs several tasks. Answering phones, creating schedules, ordering food and drinks, assisting with transportation, ordering supplies, and performing other tasks are just a few of the errands they may perform.

Producing is a career path that often begins with becoming a production assistant. Producing, directing, or other roles are possible for them. The best production assistants must be dependable, detail-oriented, and excellent at active listening.

21. Interpreter & Translator

Average salary: $44,267

Developing fluency in another language through an English degree with a foreign language minor leads to a better grasp of language structure and effective communication skills. Interpreters work with spoken language, while translators work with written language.

The average salary of this career can rise depending on the field. For example, a medical interpreter makes almost $4,000 more than the average interpreter. Salary is also dependent upon location. Working in New York, NY, pays 37.6% more than the national average, while working in Charlotte, NC, pays 15.2% less.