Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 16.05. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 519 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 41 | 153 | Data unavailable | $58,065 | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 16 | 18 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 335 | 752 | $39,364 | $55,459 | $19,500 3 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 74 | 79 | $38,574 | $49,357 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 47 | 80 | $54,886 | $64,725 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 5 | 2 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Rhode Island RI · Public · 17 graduates measured | $75,773 | $90,953 | $19,500 |
| University of Georgia GA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $74,491 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte NC · Public · 18 graduates measured | $55,715 | $51,373 | Data unavailable |
| College of Charleston SC · Public · 18 graduates measured | $44,791 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 39 graduates measured | $38,764 | $68,898 | $18,858 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary | $79,350 | +0.2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $72,040 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Interpreters and translators | $60,170 | +2.0% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (8)
- 16.0500 Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
- 16.0501 German Language and Literature
- 16.0502 Scandinavian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
- 16.0503 Danish Language and Literature
- 16.0504 Dutch/Flemish Language and Literature
- 16.0505 Norwegian Language and Literature
- 16.0506 Swedish Language and Literature
- 16.0599 Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other