What to Do With a Philosophy or Religion Degree
2 min read
What Can I Do With a Major in Philosophy or Religion?
It’s true that philosophy and religion degrees don’t directly prepare students for a particular career path, but that doesn’t mean that students who major in these subjects have a hard time finding employment. In fact, the analytical, research, and writing skills that these students develop are highly desirable in the workplace. Remember: in most occupations, employers hire the person, not the degree.
Getting that first foot in the door is the hard part for all college graduates, regardless of their major. Graduates from philosophy and religion programs are no exception. However, once hired, philosophy and religion majors are able to use their research, planning, and reasoning skills to move up into management and beyond — just like students from any other academic background.
Recent studies have shown that philosophy majors are better equipped to work in business than students who study business at the undergraduate level. That fact might surprise you, but actually makes a lot of sense: philosophy majors are trained to look at a problem from all sides, consider new perspectives, and develop arguments based on the information available to them. There are many applications for that type of thinking in the business world.
Philosophy and religion majors work in just about every industry. Some graduates end up with careers in the finance, education, and sales industries. Others go on to graduate school, where they may choose to study law, education, or library science.
Careers for Philosophy and Religion Majors
Below is a list of a few occupations that are most directly related to the skills and abilities of philosophy and religion majors. Some of these occupations require additional education that these majors are especially well-equipped to study.
| Occupation | Median Salary | Median Hourly | Current jobs | Outlook | Required Education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Professor | $62,050 | $29.83 | 1,756,000 | Good | Graduate degree |
| Editor | $51,470 | $24.75 | 129,600 | Normal | Bachelor’s Degree |
| Elementary School Teacher | $51,660 | $24.84 | 1,549,520 | Good | Bachelor’s Degree |
| High School Teacher | $53,230 | $25.59 | 1,109,500 | Good | Bachelor’s Degree |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $48,800 | $23.46 | 179,520 | Normal | Bachelor’s Degree |
| Lawyer | $112,760 | $54.21 | 759,190 | Good | Law Degree |
| Librarian | $54,500 | $26.20 | 159,940 | Normal | Master’s Degree |
| Middle School Teacher | $51,960 | $24.98 | 659,460 | Good | Bachelor’s Degree |
