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Field of degree: Philosophy and religion

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Philosophy and religion field of degree. Employment: 495,600. Median annual wage: $60,000.

Table 1. Philosophy and religion degree, 2021.

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Table 1. Philosophy and religion degree, 2021
Data	Philosophy and religion	All fields
Employment	495,600	59,687,450
Median wage	60,000	63,000
Percent employed part time	17	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	66	62
Percent with an advanced degree	58	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of philosophy and religion major, 2021.

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Chart 1. Types of philosophy and religion, 2021
Philosophy and religion major	Major share
Philosophy And Religious Studies	100%
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a philosophy and religion degree, by occupational group, 2021.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a philosophy and religion degree, by occupational group, 2021
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Management occupations	15%
Educational instruction and library occupations	15
Community and social service occupations	11
Legal occupations	11
Business and financial operations occupations	8
Other	40
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a philosophy and religion degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a philosophy and religion degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2022–32	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2021	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2021
Software developers	26%	Bachelor's degree	2%	32%
Management analysts	10	Bachelor's degree	2	35
Lawyers	8	Doctoral or professional degree	10	91
Postsecondary teachers, all other	4	Doctoral or professional degree	7	72
Managers, all other	3	Bachelor's degree	4	21
Physicians, all other	3	Doctoral or professional degree	2	100
Clergy	1	Bachelor's degree	8	48
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	1	Master's degree	2	57
Elementary school teachers, except special education	1	Bachelor's degree	2	49
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	1	Bachelor's degree	2	55
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Philosophy and religion,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/philosophy-and-religion/philosophy-and-religion-field-of-degree.htm (visited March 26, 2024).

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023