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Labor Studies

Types of Degrees Labor Studies Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Labor Studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	5
Bachelor’s Degree	94
Master’s Degree	78
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Labor Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Labor Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Personnel and Human Resources — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Labor Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Labor Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Labor Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Labor Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Oracle PeopleSoft	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Workday software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Oracle HRIS	Human resources software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Sage 50 Accounting	Accounting software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Labor Studies graduates include:

• Industrial Relations Manager
• Workforce Manager
• Talent Acquisition Manager
• HR Supervisor (Human Resources Supervisor)
• Human Services Manager
• Labor Relations Director
• Recruiting Manager
• Diversity and Inclusion Director
• Staffing Manager
• HR Manager (Human Resources Manager)
• Placement Director
• Diversity Manager
• Talent Acquisition Director
• Labor Relations Manager
• HR Ops Manager (Human Resources Operations Manager)

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	53.2%
Doctoral degree	16.3%
Master’s degree	9.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.5%
Postsecondary certificate	3.7%
First professional degree	2.6%
Some college courses	2.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.3%
Less than a high school diploma	1.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Labor Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 58.9% women and 41.1% men among Labor Studies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	106	58.9%
Men	74	41.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Labor Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	70	38.9%
Asian	14	7.8%
Hispanic or Latino	66	36.7%
Black or African American	13	7.2%
Two or More Races	8	4.4%
Race Unknown	1	0.6%
International Students	8	4.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Labor Studies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Labor Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$56,722
4 years	$57,321
5 years	$65,449

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,449 — roughly 15% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Labor Studies Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Labor Studies. 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	1
Bachelor’s	3	1
Master’s	1	0

^{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 Labor Studies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Labor Studies graduates earn a median of $57,321 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 and Management, General	336,590
Accounting	58,956
Human Resources Management and Services	25,424
Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General	17,602
Organizational Leadership	15,674
Accounting and Finance	3,502
Organizational Behavior Studies	3,447
Human Resources Development	1,604
Labor and Industrial Relations	1,540
Actuarial Science	1,363
Accounting and Business/Management	1,270
Human Resources Management and Services, Other	950

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.