20 Jobs You Can Do With A Liberal Arts Degree

Liberal arts degree jobs are more available than most people think. The common argument against getting a liberal arts degree is that they lack overall value and do not easily lead to career opportunities.

This is so bad that some colleges and universities have cut programs associated with the liberal arts. Despite these, several people still attend colleges to get a liberal arts degree.

First, what are Liberal arts?

This term is broad; it ranges from theatre arts to economics. Traditionally, it has been defined as language, history, philosophy, abstract science, and literature. This means that a liberal arts degree job is available in several fields, such as public policy, project management, marketing, journalism, human resources, education, art and entertainment, and business.

Besides, liberal arts programs give students soft skills in teamwork, problem-solving, project management, and leadership. A study has shown that students who major in liberal arts make great leaders; they have the skills which allow them to work with employees of all types.

Also, due to the adaptability and soft skills liberal arts degrees present, organizations benefit because employers can fill open employment positions with candidates who have a wide range of career skills.

Below are 20 liberal arts degree jobs graduates can pursue and their average salaries. However, before discussing some of the liberal arts degree jobs available. Let’s discuss the reasons liberal arts degrees are good

8 Advantages of a Liberal arts degree
20 Liberal arts Degree Jobs For Graduates
Conclusion
References

8 Advantages of a Liberal arts degree

1. Diverse Job Market

Graduates with a liberal arts degree are not limited to only one career part. They can pursue their interests in various fields, from politics, real estate, the consumer product industry to education. As we will mention the various jobs available later, you will discover that the choices are wide.

2. Developing Individual interest

When studying liberal arts, the wide selection of courses in the program allows the individual’s interest to develop. The program allows the student to choose from multiple courses to meet the curriculum requirements. This means the student can choose courses that are needed for their intended career path at the same time, helping them to develop core soft skills.

3. Soft Skills

The liberal arts degree offers courses that hone a wide range of skills in students. This includes skills that can be applied in almost every career, skills such as critical thinking, leadership, teamwork, project management, and problem-solving.

4. Career adaptability

Change is one constant thing, especially in the business world. The way things were done ten years ago is now obsolete. Hence, the organization and its employees have to keep up with trends, and this requires flexibility and adaptability.

Liberal arts graduates are more flexible and well-adjusted, being able to transfer multiple career skills from one job to the other with little or no additional education or training. This is especially important for students who are in college but are yet to decide on their career path.

5. Small-sized campus

A school that offers liberal arts is usually smaller; they are often private universities with affiliations. Going to a school with a small campus and a smaller total population leads to a tight-knit learning community. This gives the student a sense of belonging and improves the undergraduate experience. It could also lead to lifelong friendships and connections.

6. Professional networking

A professional network is the number of personal and work-related connections a person has. People use these connections to find out about job opportunities, get career-related tips and advice, as well as professional development. Going to a small-sized school increases access to professors and creates a close-knit community that is ideal for making connections and developing a healthy professional network.

There is a saying that everyone knows everyone in the art world; this is because it is a small community where most people go to school together. Some of the ways to build professional networks are by using social media, volunteering, joining a club or social organization, attending social events, or applying to study abroad, among others.

7. Better student to teacher ratio

Liberal arts students know their professors very well, and the professors know the students. This is because the class is small, between 10 to 30 students in a class in a smaller classroom. The professor will likely know the students by their names, thus, taking a personal interest in them and their education.

Also, the professor can offer better academic advice, personal mentorship, or career suggestions to the students; this will help students secure good internships and even letters of recommendation for the future.

8. Exposure to cool things

Liberal arts majors get to see interesting ideas constantly, as well as see creative concepts and new experiences. It could either be an opportunity to study abroad, community-engaged learning or even conduct peer-reviewed research with a professor; liberal arts students will continuously be able to explore, try new things and take risks.

20 Liberal arts Degree Jobs For Graduates

1. Customer Service Representative

This is one of the liberal arts degree jobs available. Just as the title shows, customer service representatives aid clients/customers with either purchasing, returning, or understanding an item. They are the people who answer customers’ questions online, over the phone, and in person.

Additionally, they might show how the product and services are used by the clients. Because of the soft skills liberal arts graduates have, they can effectively communicate and understand customers. The average salary for a customer representative is $13.59/hr.

2. Youth Counselor

A youth counsellor is one of the common liberal arts degree jobs. Youth counsellors are needed in schools, nonprofit organizations, religious organizations, or correctional facilities where young people face mental and emotional issues. Youth counselors meet with kids and teenagers to address their issues and provide them with advice and direction.

Also, they track the progress of their patients and give updates to parents, guardians, and caregivers. Although, many youth counsellors work in places where patients are facing a specific issue, for example, compulsive or regular substance use problems or criminal records. The average salary for a youth counselor is $14.56/hr.

3. Journalist

Another common liberal art degree job is as a journalist. Journalists can work in any media outlets, such as newspapers, television networks, magazines, and blogs, where reports on interesting topics are made.

A journalist has to research the primary source of information and write or tell a narrative that will appeal to their audience.

Essentially, it is all about telling a story to keep the audience interested; it could either be about culture, art, lifestyle, or current events. The annual average salary is $35,420.

4. Curriculum Manager

This is another liberal arts degree job; these people manage the curriculum. Thus, they work with education administrators, teachers, and school districts to develop instructional strategies. They note teachers and instructors, educational materials, and techniques and improve them.

Also, they review and standardize students’ test scores, textbooks, teaching methods, and technology. Even though curriculum managers work with several students, some have a specialized subject or grade level they work on. The annual average salary is $67,981.

5. Project manager

A project manager is one job in demand in recent years, and it is one of the liberal arts degree jobs available to graduates. A project manager develops plans and strategies on how to complete complex projects, such as building a mall or developing a consumer product.

A project manager has to gather and analyze the data available to estimate the time the project will take, the cost of the project, and the materials and labor needed for the project. They also find alternative ways in which the firm can reduce costs.

Because of the role of a project manager, he has to work closely with department managers, contractors, and engineers. The annual average salary is $81,580.

6. Management analyst

The liberal arts degree job analyzes organizations and finds ways they can increase their profit and improve their efficiency. They look for loopholes or redundancy in organizations by interviewing employees, reviewing financial statements, and observing employees at work.

After this, they recommend how the organization can improve its work processes and systems based on the problems it discovered. Even after the organization has implemented its recommendations, most management analysts continue to check the progress and results of their work. The annual average salary for a management analyst is $88,312.

7. Program Analyst

This liberal arts degree job accesses the success of an organization. A program analyst determines the success metrics of an organization by gathering data and analyzing the results. After which, they recommend ways in which the organization can improve and do better.

The gathering of this data could be from interviewing employees or reviewing financial data. The annual average salary for a program analyst is $96, 725.

8. Policy analyst

Policy analyst is one of the liberal arts degree jobs available to graduate students. A policy analyst collects statistics, performs cost-benefit analysis, researches public opinion, and forecasts the results of either current or proposed legislation.

Policy analysts influence politics; they could either be working for a research organization, a nonprofit, or a government agency. Additionally, policy analysts specialize in a particular field, e.g., education, medicine and science, and urban planning.

9. Urban Planner

Without urban planners, cities would be haphazard, with no design. Urban planners design how public or private land should be developed. They consider factors such as environmental issues, roads, public transit, and population growth when making their design and development plans.

Urban planners understand building codes and zoning regulations. Also, they present their development plans to the public to gauge their opinion, then accept bids from developers. Urban planners make an annual average salary of $69,015.

10. Web developers

Yes, being a web developer is also another liberal arts degree job; seeing that a web developer has to talk with clients and understand their needs; means communication is vital. These customers’ needs are then incorporated into digital applications using languages such as HTML and CSS.

Although web developer handles the appearance and function of a website, most times, they work with graphic designers and video editors to create the visual elements the customer wants or needs. Web developers are one of the high-rising jobs today as everything is becoming digitalized. The annual average salary is $76,186.

11. Training Manager

A training manager handles training the employees of an organization. He has to create and monitor programs that will aid in employee development. A training manager monitors and discovers productivity issues in an organization and areas where employees need training.

In effect, they have to determine the type of training to implement, the department’s need, and purchase or develop necessary materials for the training. A training manager is also responsible for organizing training sessions to orient new employees or to prepare existing employees for mergers and other organizational changes. The annual average salary is $67,186.

12. Copywriter

Copywriting is another one of the liberal arts degree jobs available to students. A copywriter creates the content for marketing, sales, and advertising purposes. They include direct mail materials, television and radio scripts, and other types of advertising and marketing materials.

A copywriter has to create content that will interest customers and sell the product. To write interesting content, the copywriter has to do research, understand the product and service, as well as know the customers’ needs and motivation. A copywriter receives an annual average salary of $61,373.

13. Archivist

Archivists preserve, store, and maintain documents, artefacts, and other original objects in historical societies and museums. Most times, they serve as database managers, archiving these objects, creating electronic and paper records that document the objects in the collection.

Archivists specialize in a particular type of object or a certain era in history. They also have to restore, clean up historical exhibitions and objects. Sometimes, archivists make sure that they place the object in a safe place. The annual average salary is $65,561.

14. Librarian

Although most people term librarian as a boring job, it is one of the liberal arts degree jobs available for graduates and has an annual average salary of $60,006. Librarians work in libraries at public and academic institutions. Librarians also help patrons by directing them to the books they want; they also review reference materials and research topics online.

Librarians keep the books in the library up-to-date; hence, they have to monitor new books and media releases. Additionally, they choose relevant books and materials for the library to acquire. Some librarians lecture on effective research, especially if they work in a university library.

15. Editors

Editors make corrections to written content; they make corrections to grammar, and punctuation marks and revise the content so that it can be readable. They also work with writers to create an interesting story that suits the publication’s focus and is, interesting to readers.

Hence, editors work for publication houses, book publishers, newspapers, magazines, and websites, where they seek and review articles and content for publication. The annual average salary of an editor is $56,433.

16. Curator

This is another one of the liberal arts degree jobs available to graduates. Curators gain new objects and create exhibitions in museums. Curators promote their institutions at public and private events, building relationships with artefact donors and potential art collectors.

Curators oversee the curatorial and technical staff in the museum. Also, they organize exhibitions, workshops, and tours to educate patrons. They research historical and cultural topics. The annual average salary is $15.73

17. Publicist

Publicists handle their clients getting media coverage on blogs, magazines, newspapers, television, and radio shows. They plan press and promotional events for their clients, write their press releases and send out stories to these media outlets.

Publicists monitor and try to control the narratives of the stories these media outlets write about their clients. They also help their clients maintain a certain public reputation and image. Businesses have publicists, as do political figures, athletes, actors, and musicians. The annual average salary is $49, 854.

18. Human Resource Specialist

The Human Resource Specialist recruits, interviews, and hires new employees at a firm. They discuss employment needs with the executives, then they write the job descriptions and post about the job opening. After which, they screen applicants, review CVs, call references, interview candidates, and hire.

They also discuss company rules, compensation, and benefits with new employees, giving them an orientation. Though some human resource specialists are only involved in recruiting, others help with every step in the hiring process. Human Resource specialists have an annual average salary of $49,577.

19. Real Estate Agent

Another liberal art degree job is as a Real Estate Agent. The primary responsibility of a real estate agent is to help clients buy or sell houses; to do this, strong customer service and sales skills are needed. A liberal arts degree equips graduates with that skill.

Real estate agents also make recommendations to sellers on how to improve their homes so that they will be more attractive to buyers and generate more income. Real estate agents are the ones who coordinate the buying and selling transactions. Additionally, a real estate agent has an annual average salary of $87,330.

20. Research Associate

Research associates support decision-makers in an organization to do their work successfully by studying businesses, sectors, markets, and other organizations. Research associates tend to study trends in the environment and report the findings to decision-makers.

Research associates gather both primary and secondary data, analyze their findings, and present it to decision-makers. Their presentation is typically a written report which contains graphs and illustrations. Additionally, they usually work for a consulting firm; however, sometimes, they work within the organization. The annual average salary is $61,483.

Conclusion

Conclusively, we have seen that there are more liberal arts degree jobs than people give edits for. Besides, a survey has made known that most liberal arts degree jobs have risen. An individual can earn at least $55,000. Liberal arts graduates are very adaptable, which is needed today as ways of doing things keep on changing and improving. Also, liberal arts degree jobs are more diverse than most majors.

References

indeed.com – The Best 25 Liberal Studies (Arts) Jobs That Pay
indeed.com – 10 Careers You Can Pursue With a Liberal Arts Degree
southwestern.edu – 12 Benefits of a Liberal Arts Education
indeed.com – 10 Careers You Can Pursue With a Liberal Arts Degree