Best Future Jobs for Liberal Arts Majors
When it comes to attending school, liberal arts majors tend to get a bad rap.
Often teased about what can be done with a communications or fine arts degree, the assumption is that you can’t make good money with one of these degrees.
The truth, though, is that liberal arts degrees provide a number of skills that employers are looking for.
Future Jobs Require Human Skills
The jobs of the future are likely to be those that require thinking, emotion and creativity.
According to the Dallas Federal Reserve, non-routine jobs that require higher cognitive function are going to be the careers that can’t be replaced by robots or algorithms.
Liberal arts degrees are precisely the degrees that encourage a degree of creativity and non-routine work.
As we move toward the future of work, we’re likely to see the skills learned through practicing liberal arts in higher demand.
Useful Liberal Arts Skills
Before you throw shade on liberal arts degrees, consider that a 2018 study from educational technology company Cengage indicates that employers are increasingly looking for soft skills. The talents employers most looked for included:
- Listening (74 percent)
- Attention to detail (70 percent)
- Effective communication (69 percent)
- Critical thinking (68 percent)
On top of that, 52 percent of employers agreed that a candidate capable of learning quickly and thinking critically was desirable, even if they didn’t have the technical skills required.
The following are 10 future jobs for liberal arts majors.
Multimedia Artist and Animator
Median pay: $70,530
Expected job growth through 2026: 8 percent
Related degrees: Computer graphics, graphic design, art
With the rise of multimedia entertainment, it’s probably no surprise that these workers are sought-after in the workforce, and that it’s possible to get a decent-paying job in a field that requires the ability to work in various media and to animate.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this profession to grow along with demand for video games, movies and television.
Art Director
Median pay: $92,500
Expected job growth through 2026: 5 percent
Related degrees: Art, graphic design, photography
It’s hard to duplicate human creativity. As a result, art directors are likely to remain in demand for quite some time. With art direction, it’s all about putting together a visual style or presentation. This is true for traditional publications, like magazines, as well as for online publications.
Interestingly, three out of five art directors are self-employed, making this an ideal job for creative people who want to explore entrepreneurship.
Economist
Median pay: $102,490
Expected job growth through 2026: 6 percent
Related degrees: Economics
That’s right, the dismal science is a liberal arts degree. While it can be difficult to get a job with a private company with only a bachelor’s degree, there are some entry-level jobs, like those with the government, that will let you get started without the need for a graduate education.
Many economists work independently, although they might sometimes collaborate. The ability to take complex concepts and explain them in language anyone can understand is an important skill for an economist.
Technical Writer
Median pay: $70,930
Expected job growth through 2026: 11 percent
Related degrees: Communications, English, journalism, computer science
If you can combine communication skills with technical knowledge, you might be able to get a job as a technical writer.
Technical writers create manuals, tutorials, white papers, journal articles, and even FAQs for online technical support.
With science and technology moving forward, there will be an increased demand for people who can write well and take complex topics and communicate them to the masses.
Writer and Author
Median pay: $61,820
Expected job growth through 2026: 8 percent
Related degrees: English, journalism, communications
Technical writing isn’t the only type of writing that can provide you with a paycheck as a liberal arts major. Writers and authors spend a lot of time creating content for different publishers, online and offline. They can also write books, movie and television scripts, and even write scripts for YouTube videos.
Writing is a versatile job that can be done from just about anywhere you have access to a computer and the internet. With the rise of the internet, and the constant need for online content, freelance writing is one of the most common types of writing.
About two out of every three writers is self-employed.
Advertising, Promotions and Marketing Manager
Median pay: $129,380
Expected job growth through 2026: 10 percent
Related degrees: Communications, advertising, marketing
The whole idea behind this occupation is encouraging consumers to buy a specific product or service. Advertising, promotions and marketing managers might also work to develop and oversee programs meant to help raise a company’s visibility and encourage consumers to brand loyalty.
If you have a solid understanding of online marketing, this can be a good job. You’ll work with online influencers, find ways to drive traffic to a company website, and come up with a marketing plan that includes traditional and new media aspects.
Public Relations Specialist
Median pay: $59,300
Expected job growth through 2026: 9 percent
Related degrees: English, public relations, journalism, business
If you can craft messages designed to improve the public image of a person or company, you could be a public relations specialist.
You’ll write press releases and consult with marketing managers on how to get the message out through social media and other channels. You might even need to be a spokesperson.
You need an ear for appropriate messaging, and a flair for turning a phrase. This job is expected to remain somewhat in demand as public relations is an important part of staying on top of brand image when everything can be found on the internet.
Social and Community Service Manager
Median pay: $64,100
Expected job growth through 2026: 18 percent
Related degrees: Sociology, social work, psychology, health sciences
These types of managers are in charge of organizing workers who provide services to the public. Often, these types of managers work for government agencies or nonprofit organizations.
It’s also possible to get a job as a social and community service manager with for-profit social service companies.
With an aging population in need of increased community services, this job is expected to see faster than expected growth in the coming years. Anything related to health and human services is an area where you might be able to use a liberal arts degree to good effect.
Meeting, Convention and Event Planner
Median pay: $48,290
Expected job growth through 2026: 11 percent
Related degrees: Hospitality, English, communications
If you’re organized and you have a flair for making connections, you could be an event planner. You need to arrange meeting locations, transportation, and meals. You might also need to make lodging arrangements and line up speakers for various events.
For those who are interested in travel, and don’t mind working long hours on-site, this can be a good job to have.
Plus, even though the internet has made it possible to conduct business remotely, this job is expected to grow faster than average because conferences, summits and conventions are still in very high demand as those who work together online look to meet each other in real life.
Fundraiser
Median pay: $55,640
Expected job growth through 2026: 15 percent
Related degrees: Communications, business, political science, public relations, journalism
Every needs money. Nonprofit organizations, political campaigns, research foundations and social services organizations all need help raising funds.
You could organize events and come up with different ways to raise money. This includes working with a design team and being able to craft compelling messages.
Additionally, you could also work as a grant writer as a way to help organizations raise money. This can be a good position if you have attention to detail and good organizational skills.
Use Your Liberal Arts Degree as a Stepping Stone
While it’s possible to get a job with a bachelor’s degree in a liberal arts field, you might be surprised that sometimes the bachelor’s degree is just a stepping stone.
Depending on what you want to do in the future, here are three jobs you can do if you’re willing to get extra education.
Lawyer
Median pay: $119,250
Expected job growth through 2026: 8 percent
Bachelor’s degrees: English, journalism, communications, political science
One of the most popular professional degrees is the juris doctorate.
It’s common for English and political science majors to go on to law school and leverage their original liberal arts degree into a job as a lawyer.
School and Career Counselors
Median pay: $55,410
Expected job growth through 2026: 13 percent
Bachelor’s degrees: Sociology, psychology
There’s not much you can do with a bachelor’s degree in sociology or psychology, but if you leverage that into a master’s degree in school counseling, you can find a job in many elementary and secondary schools.
The job outlook is better than average since there is a shortage of these service providers.
Librarian
Median pay: $58,520
Expected job growth through 2026: 9 percent
Bachelor’s degree: Education, teaching, communications, English
Believe it or not, librarians are expected to hold their ground, with the occupation growing at a solid rate.
Libraries are increasingly becoming community spaces, and many libraries offer internet access, classes and workshops.
In order to be a librarian, though, you need to take your liberal arts bachelor’s degree and build on it with a master’s degree in library sciences.