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Corporate Communications

Types of Degrees Corporate Communications Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Corporate Communications can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	14
Bachelor’s Degree	542
Master’s Degree	270

What Corporate Communications Majors Need to Know

Studies in Corporate Communications build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Corporate Communications graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Corporate Communications emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Corporate Communications program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Writing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Corporate Communications careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Corporate Communications graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Corporate Communications professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	✓
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Corporate Communications graduates include:

• Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Lecturer
• Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• College Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Communication Studies Professor
• Speech Professor
• Communications Professor
• Communication Professor
• Speech Instructor

What Can You Do With a Corporate Communications Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Corporate Communications commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Proofreaders and Copy Markers	0.7%	$30,503	$25,598–$35,409

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Corporate Communications graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	33.4%
Master’s degree	28.8%
Doctoral degree	10.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.6%
Some college courses	8.7%
Post-doctoral training	3.6%
Postsecondary certificate	1.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.8%
Less than a high school diploma	0.8%
First professional degree	0.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Corporate Communications?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 60.3% of Corporate Communications degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	498	60.3%
Men	328	39.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Corporate Communications graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	386	46.7%
Asian	77	9.3%
Hispanic or Latino	149	18.0%
Black or African American	110	13.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	36	4.4%
Race Unknown	18	2.2%
International Students	49	5.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Corporate Communications Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Corporate Communications graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,829
4 years	$57,227
5 years	$64,323

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,323 — roughly 47% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Corporate Communications Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Corporate Communications. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	3
Bachelor’s	5	5
Master’s	7	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Corporate Communications Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Corporate Communications graduates earn a median of $57,227 four years after completion — roughly 51% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Business Administration, Management and Operations	402,942
Accounting and Related Services	81,835
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods	62,236
Business/Commerce, General	57,976
Finance and Financial Management Services	57,564
Marketing	53,750
Human Resources Management and Services	25,424
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services	16,153
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations	14,306
Hospitality Administration/Management	13,333
Management Information Systems and Services	12,092
Real Estate	7,906

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.