Labor Studies

Types of Degrees Labor Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many labor studies graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	50
Graduate Certificate	34
Master’s Degree	22
Basic Certificate	9
Associate’s Degree	6
Undergraduate Certificate	2

What Labor Studies Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, labor studies majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Labor Studies Majors

Labor Studies majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Labor Studies Majors

A major in labor studies prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Labor Studies Majors

As you progress with your labor studies degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Labor Studies?

This major is dominated by women with about 72% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of labor studies majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2
Black or African American	7
Hispanic or Latino	14
White	23
International Students	2
Other Races/Ethnicities	2

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Labor Studies. About 4.0% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Labor Studies Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to labor studies is $70,730. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Labor Studies

Some degrees associated with labor studies may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to labor studies have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	20.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	10.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	30.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	10.0%
Master’s Degree	25.0%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	5.0%

Online Labor Studies Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 20 schools offered some type of labor studies program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	5	1
Certificate (1-2 years)	4	4
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	4	3
Bachelor’s Degree	4	0
Post-Baccalaureate	5	1
Master’s Degree	1	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Labor Studies Worth It?

The median salary for a labor studies grad is $70,730 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 77% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $616,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Labor Studies

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to labor studies.

Major	Number of Grads
General Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration	17,412
Organizational Behavior Studies	3,773
Human Resources Development	2,001
Labor & Industrial Relations	1,882
Other Human Resources Management and Services	1,632

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Arunkumar Umapathy under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.