What Can You Do With A Liberal Arts Degree

Stan T.Career

What Can You Do With A
Liberal Arts Degree

Did you know that Oprah Winfrey has a degree in Liberal Arts? And so does Bruce Lee. Ted Turner has a classics major, Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, has a degree in Philosophy, and Howard Schulz, the CEO of Starbucks, studied Philosophy.

That’s not all, there’s a long list of celebrities who studied Liberal arts. You might’ve noticed that they pursued different specialties. That’s because this line of education spans several disciplines, and provides the graduates with essential skill sets for a wide range of career opportunities.


Typical employers for Liberal Arts graduates

Advertising Agencies
Tech Companies
Movie Industry
Colleges and Universities


Non-Profit Organizations
Publishing Companies


8 Career Options

  1. Human Resource Coordinator
  2. What they do

    A Human Resources Coordinator is responsible for performing administrative tasks for the human resources department of a company. This involves helping an HR manager with the recruitment process, maintaining staff records, and assisting with payroll processing.

    HR Coordinators ought to be good at problem-solving and communication. They could also be involved in training and development activities. Being well versed in human behavior is a big plus.

    Find out more about what’s it like working a HR Coordinator.

    How to become one

    Employers would prefer graduates with at least a Bachelor’s degree. Knowledge in Sociology, Philosophy, and Anthropology are also good assets to have in your resume. Since they all focus on understanding and developing human behavior.

    How much they make

    The annual salary of a HR Coordinator is $44170. Entry-level HR Coordinators with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $28,000 to $34,000 per year.




  3. Entry-level Business Analyst
  4. What they do

    The main role of a Junior Business Analyst is to categorize data. This professional helps in project management by collecting information, documenting processes, and verifying the final documents.

    Interestingly, there’s an increasing demand for Liberal Arts graduates in Silicon Valley. That’s because they approach the data from a different perspective. This complements the inputs provided by technical design teams and helps in creating better products.

    How to become one

    A Bachelor’s degree is often required, along with a suitable skill set, and of course, an aptitude for data analysis. A background in Economics, Statistics, or Business Informatics certainly helps.

    Next up in the list of essential requirements, is the ability to communicate well, and present meaningful results to others. Many companies prefer to hire analysts with Finance degrees, but History and Economics Majors can make the cut if they’ve got the right skills.

    How much they make

    Entry-level Business Analysts can expect to earn between $45,000 and $67,000 per year. The average annual salary for such an Analyst currently stands at $57,500.




  5. Legal Assistant
  6. What they do

    With a Liberal Arts degree, you can also pursue a career in the legal sector. As a Paralegal Assistant, you’ll be tasked with investigating facts of different cases, researching relevant laws and legal articles, collecting and sorting evidence, and writing reports to help lawyers.

    Find out more about what’s it like working as a Legal Assistant.

    How to become one

    Several law firms hire Liberal Arts graduates and train them on the job. That’s because the skill set presented by such candidates often comes in handy in paralegal work. In addition to a solid background in Sociology, Political Science, or Economics might come in handy too

    In terms of degree requirements, 84% of Legal Assistants we surveyed said they hold either an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree.

    How much they make

    Entry-level Legal Assistants who are just getting started can expect to make anywhere between $31,000 to $39,000 per year . The average salary per year is usually about $56610. Learn more about how much do Legal Assistants make.




  7. Sales Representative
  8. What they do

    Want to get your foot in the door in a sales career? A Sales Representative is one of the most common sales roles. Most of these roles are an entry-level position and it’s highly competitive.

    The main role of a Sales Representative is to work with clients. They try to identify what the customer wants, and create solutions and provide a smooth sales process. They may also be tasked with prospecting for sales leads, either through client referrals or LinkedIn.

    How to become one

    The most important qualification a Sales Representative should have is demonstrating excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. A Bachelor’s degree isn’t a top requirement to work as a Sales Rep, but employers in larger organizations might use that to filter out candidates.

    How much they make

    On average, a Sales Representative earns $44,000 per year. However, the salary potential is almost limitless if you are getting paid commissions on top of your base salary.




  9. Translator
  10. What they do

    Being a Translator means that you should be fluent in at least one foreign language, other than English. Publishers, International Organizations, Multinational businesses, and the Film industry, are some of the fields in constant need of good-quality translators.

     The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that the demand for interpreters and translators will grow by 46% by 2022.

    Find out more about what’s it like working as a Translator.

    How to become one

    Being well versed in two languages and capable of switching smoothly between the two is the primary requirement. In addition, some types of translation require further specialization, and a thorough understanding of technical, political, or business terms.

    77% of Translators we surveyed said they hold either a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. More importantly, you should be knowledgeable about the cultural usage of the language, not just the regular understanding of it.

    How much they make

    On average, a Translator earns $58140 per year. For fresh graduates who are just getting started, they can expect to make anywhere between $28,000 to $37,000 per year. Find out more about how much to Translators make.




  11. PR Specialist
  12. What they do

    The main role of a Public Relations Specialist is to interact with the public on behalf of a company, an individual, or another entity. Other titles given to this position include Communication or Media Specialist.

    As a PR Specialist, your duties will include developing press kit content, upholding the identity and reputation of your client, assessing public opinion, and cultivating relations with media outlets.

    Find out more about what’s it like working as a PR Specialist.

    How to become one

    Most Public Relations Specialists hold a Bachelor’s degree. About 92% of PR Specialist we surveyed said they hold a Bachelor’s degree. As a PR Specialist, you need to have a strong understanding of Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, Business, and Advertising.

    How much they make

    The average annual salary for a Public Relations Specialist is $71940. Entry-level PR Specialists with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $34,000 to $45,000 per year.




  13. Marketing Coordinator
  14. What they do

    As a Marketing Coordinator, your job will involve conducting research in an attempt to understand customers’ behavior.

    You’ll also be tasked with designing and implementing marketing campaigns and creating tracking systems for marketing activities. You may also be asked to prepare forecasts.

    How to become one

    This is not a highly demanding field in terms of required degrees. Typically, employers would prefer graduates with a Bachelor’s degree but that is slowly diminishing because of digital marketing and online learning where anyone can pick up the necessary skill sets required to execute and manage a successful marketing campaign.

    How much they make

    The salary of a Marketing Coordinator typically ranges between $49,000 and $64,000.




  15. Writer
  16. What they do

    Did you major in a language-heavy discipline like Communications, English, Journalism or Literature? If so, a career as a writer is well within your grasp. There are dozens of writing jobs and you have the freedom to pivot it to your individual interests.

    The duties you’ll be tasked with will depend on the specific field you work in. For instance, choosing fiction writing means you’d be responsible for writing short stories, novels, and screenplays. In contrast, a nonfiction writer deals with web content, reference books, biographies, and autobiographies.

    How to become one

    Employers are generally looking for graduates with a Bachelor’s degree for full-time positions. Similarly, pursuing a writing position in a particular discipline, such as healthcare or business, will require you to have undertaken coursework in that area.

    Writing has many more venues, and several of them depend primarily on talent and the ability to write engaging text. A History major graduate who writes well could be indispensable in a Game Design team, writing the script of an epic struggle between empires.

    How much they make

    The average annual salary of a Writer is approx $52,000.