Linguistics
Major · the science of language
442 postings · median $84,959
The broadest footprint in the data. Graduates surface as linguists, language analysts, and researchers across tech, government, and academia.
Current Job Market
What kinds of linguistics-related jobs are available now?
This is a report on job ads found using a script that scours job sites for relevant postings. It focuses on full-time work but includes some contract and remote work. The report will be updated periodically to give a sense of what opportunities are available to our graduates.
What 1,332 live job postings say about employment opportunities
A snapshot of the current market for language work — read across the department's major and minor programs. Job postings found September 23, 2026.
1,332postings analyzed
$69,228median salary
827with salary data
5programs mapped
The shape of the market
Language work is bigger and broader than major or minor names suggest.
Sorted broadly by career sector, the job ads reveal a diverse landscape of opportunities. Searching only by a major or minor name leads to a narrower view of available positions. Being open to a range of job descriptions and types yields greater possibilities.
Read by program
Linguistics Department programs, in job listing terms
A list of majors and minors ordered by number of jobs found that could readily be filled by those graduates. Includes some key words or roles used in ads relevant to each area. Postings can count toward more than one major or minor.
Editing & Publishing
Major · from manuscript to print and beyond
274 postings · median $63,736
A steady, well-defined profession. Editor, copyeditor, and proofreader roles are consistent and geographically spread.
TESOL
Minor · teaching English, worldwide
227 postings · median $69,350
Reliable demand across instructor, ESL, and curriculum roles. A Master's is the frequent expectation for stronger positions.
Computational Linguistics
Minor · where language meets machines
205 postings · median $97,546
The highest-paying path in the data by a clear margin. Localization, annotation, conversational-AI, and NLP roles dominate, and this is the one area with genuinely remote work.
Applied English Linguistics
Major · language, put to work
158 postings · median $71,902
Ranges between teaching, assessment, and language technology — specialists who can be between classroom, content, and code.
Earnings
The computing premium is clear in the data
Median advertised salary by program — Computational Linguistics leads editing by about $33,810.
What the roles are called
Job titles & the language of the listings
What to learn
Skills & languages that recur
If you're a student, read this
Five things the data suggests
01
Localization/translation is the biggest door — walk in with eyes open
The largest share of postings, but heavily freelance and the lowest median pay. A fine first step; pair it with a specialization.
02
The computing minor (or comparable computational skills) is the earnings lever
Computational Linguistics leads every path on pay and is where remote work exists. Even a few programming and NLP courses move you there.
03
Editing and TESOL are dependable professions
Consistent, broad demand with clear credentials — a Bachelor's plus style-guide fluency and experience for editing, often a Master's for TESOL.
04
A second language pays
Specific languages are named constantly; Spanish and French lead. The language you already have is a marketable asset — list it in your resume.
05
Don't overlook government work
Federal language-analyst roles are a small but well-paid slice most students never think to search.
How to read this honestly
What this snapshot can and can't tell you
Read these limits before quoting a number
- It's a snapshot, not a census. Postings open during one collection window, not a record of where graduates ended up.
- The mix reflects where we searched. A large commercial aggregator supplied most rows, tilting toward localization vendors.
- These are not starting salaries. The postings mix entry-level, mid-career, and senior positions (184 senior vs 77 entry-level by title), so each median reflects the whole career arc.
- Salaries come from the ~62% of postings that stated one, which over-represents larger employers.
- Remote-work share can't be read from this data — most postings leave location blank.