Find a Job You Really Want In
Obtaining a master’s in English opens opportunities for word lovers in different industries. With a master’s in English, you can become a writer or pursue a career in publishing, acquisitions, or as a copy editor. It can prepare you to become a better marketer or pursue higher academia as a professor, or perhaps reach a goal of getting your Ph.D.
English can also be coupled with different degrees to enhance your appeal as a candidate in certain positions. Obtaining a master’s in English along with history or political science, for example, can help you get into law school. Gaining a master’s in English also shows employers you have impeccable communication skills too.
Key Takeaways:
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Obtaining a master’s in English can also open up future academic possibilities, such as entering into law.
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Studying for a master’s in English allows you to specialize in areas of concentration like creative writing, linguistics, multicultural literature, and renaissance literature, among others.
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If you’re looking for a career as a librarian or in writing, editing, publishing, journalism, or business communications, a master’s degree in English can greatly improve your appeal to employers.
7 Best-Paying Jobs for People With a Master’s in English
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Average Annual Salary: $58,000
Advertising executives are individuals who manage, coordinate and execute a plan dealing with the advertising activities within an organization. Their primary task is to work on the core messaging of company-specific campaigns for their clients and execute them to the client’s satisfaction and within their budget.
These types of professionals strive to increase sales for their client’s businesses. They can also operate as liaisons between an agency and a client. They may handle multiple accounts, which can sometimes be difficult as Advertising Executives must have deep knowledge of the businesses they work with.
Job outlook: Advertising Executive jobs are projected to grow 10% from 2021 to 2031, adding about 25,300 job openings each year, on average.
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Business Development Specialist
Average Annual Salary: $57,000
These professionals are responsible for looking for opportunities to grow the business and optimizing marketing strategies to accomplish that goal. They may analyze business processes and finances, develop and implement new business plans, and establish effective networks. They may also assist in mergers or acquisitions.
This job requires strong communication skills because these individuals should be persuasive and persistent. They must also gather in-depth knowledge about the company’s products or services in order to operate effectively. They may be responsible for helping sales and marketing reach certain sales goals.
Job outlook: Business Development Specialist jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2021 to 2031.
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Average Annual Salary: $84,000
These marketers are responsible for planning, creating, and implementing the content strategy for a business. They must manage the creation and production of marketing content that drives leads for the organization and helps nurture potential customers through the sales funnel or attract new customers.
Depending on the size of the business, content marketing managers may also be responsible for managing other writers and editors, recruiting freelancers, and keeping track of all progress made on projects. They are responsible for creating and maintaining the company writing style guide and ensuring all content adheres to it.
Job outlook: Content marketing jobs are projected to grow 10% between 2020 and 2030.
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Average Annual Salary: $88,000
Proposal managers are individuals who work in management that manage and oversee all business proposals within a company. They must ensure the proposal is created effectively and meets certain deadlines. They may also issue assignments to other team members and give presentations to stakeholders.
As a proposal manager, your master’s in English can give you a leg up in the communications department. Proposal managers must communicate assignments effectively as well as maintain strict deadlines. They are often tasked with presenting points to coworkers or stakeholders, as well.
Job outlook: Proposal Manager jobs are projected to grow by 9% for writers and 12% for technical writers between 2020 and 2030.
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Average Annual Salary: $48,000
Public relations specialists are professionals who create and maintain a favorable public image for the company they work for or the client they serve. This means they provide material for media releases, plan and execute public relations programs, and sometimes raise funds for their organizations.
A master’s in English will assist public relations specialists when they must write press releases or help clients communicate effectively in public. It will also come in handy when drafting speeches or arranging for interviews for company executives, as well as any advertising or promotion programs they run.
Job outlook: Public relations specialist jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2021 to 2031, opening over 27,000 jobs per year on average.
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Average Annual Salary: $82,000
Regional sales managers are responsible for the distribution and sales of an organization’s products or services in a particular region. They may manage and support sales teams in their specific region and work with them to reach sales targets. They also meet regularly with senior management.
Regional sales managers will benefit from a master’s in English because their communication skills are so important in this type of field. They must be able to communicate with their sales teams effectively, hold meetings, provide presentations, and develop effective sales pitches.
Job outlook: Regional sales manager positions are projected to grow 5% from 2021 to 2031, opening just under 42,000 openings each year, on average, over the decade.
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Average Annual Salary: $87,000
Software developers design, program, build, deploy, and maintain software for a business. They may build software systems that power networks or devices and ensure they remain functional and intuitive for users. Software developers can work in a variety of industries and even establish freelance careers.
While obtaining a degree in software development is typically most important for this career, getting a master’s in English can greatly help your employment opportunities. Software developers deal with complex technologies and should be able to communicate those ideas to stakeholders in an understandable way.
Job outlook: Software developer jobs are projected to grow an impressive 25% over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations.
8 Entry-Level Jobs for People With a Master’s in English
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Average Annual Salary: $51,000
Employment recruiters are experts in human resources. They are tasked with finding, screening, and attracting applicants of all times for open positions within the company they work for. They must run talent acquisition from beginning to end, including advertising, reviewing resumes, interviewing, and working with hiring managers.
Recruiters can work in organizations that have in-house recruiters to help fill positions within the company. They can also work for recruiting agencies that have clients for which they find candidates. In-house recruiters are often closely ingrained in the office culture, while agency recruiters often work in an area of expertise.
Job outlook: Human resources jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2021 to 2031, opening just under 82,000 jobs per year on average over the decade.
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Average Annual Salary: $65,000
Technical writers are professionals who write company documents such as instruction manuals, standard operating procedures (SOPs), intermediate to end-user manuals, reference guides, whitepapers, and product descriptions. These individuals may work as documentation specialists and be tasked with updating all company paperwork.
Technical writers may also be expected to write articles, handbooks, or highly-technical documentation depending on their level and area of expertise. These individuals can work directly with an organization if the need is large enough or as freelance technical writers.
Job outlook: Jobs for technical writers are expected to grow 6% over the next ten years, opening around 5400 openings per year, on average, over the decade.
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Average Annual Salary: $80,000
Human resources is an important function within any organization. These managers lead employee recruitment, staff training and development, and developing and enforcing workplace policies and processes. They manage payroll and benefits for all employees as well as any training or development programs.
Those in human resources must be excellent communicators. They are responsible for building and maintaining a positive office culture and, therefore, must be able to clearly and effectively speak, write, and present concepts in a clear and understandable way. A master’s degree in English can give you a leg up.
Job outlook: Jobs for human resources managers are projected to grow 7% over the next decade, opening 16,300 openings on average each year over the decade.
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Average Annual Salary: $78,000
Authors or writers are individuals who produce well-crafted written works for their audience to read and enjoy. Authors work with words and use the fundamentals of language and grammar to evoke imagination, educate, and hold the interest of the audience they wish to reach.
Authors aren’t just people who write books. They can be novelists, poets, journalists, screenwriters, playwrights, copywriters, and more. These different types of writers can write a variety of different pieces of content, including books, articles, blogs, business pieces, and more.
Job outlook: Employment for authors is expected to grow 4% over the next decade, opening around 15,200 jobs each year throughout the next ten years.
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Average Annual Salary: $52,000
Grant writers are writers who craft proposals asking for funds from donors. Grant writers must research grants and develop and submit grant applications to specific funders that provide support for non-profits. Grants are essential in keeping these organizations alive.
To be a grant writer, you must pay great attention to detail and be incredibly ambitious. You should be persuasive in your writing in order to secure important funding and be comfortable with deep research to become an expert in the subject matter. Grant writers also work closely with organization partners or consultants and senior staff.
Job outlook: Job opportunities for grant writers are expected to grow 9% between the years 2020 and 2030.
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Average Annual Salary: $52,000
Editors are professionals who plan, coordinate, revise, correct, and format written content for publication. They work closely with writers to refine their work while ensuring it meets industry standards. Editors can work with books, newspapers, magazines, or online media.
Because editing relies so heavily on mastery of the English language, it’s no surprise a master’s in English will greatly help your job opportunities in this area. Editors can work at individual companies like a publisher or a tech company or as freelance editors for authors or smaller companies who need occasional editing work.
Job outlook: Unfortunately, jobs for editors are projected to decline by about 5% from 2021 to 2031.
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Average Annual Salary: $65,000
Copywriters are individuals who work more on the marketing side of the business. They write crisp and concise copy or text utilized on a company’s website, advertisements, social media, or other marketing materials. Their main goal is to get the audience to take action.
Copywriters must have excellent writing skills as well as persuasive abilities. They should have a good understanding of marketing and how to effectively reach their audience. Copywriters can work in marketing or advertising departments within a company, as part of an agency, or as a freelancer.
Job outlook: The copywriter job market will grow by about 7% from 2016 to 2026.
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Average Annual Salary: $71,000
Publishers are professionals who prepare and manage the distribution of books and other materials. They may work with magazines, books, journals, or music production. Publishers typically oversee the entire publishing process by advising writers with the creative direction taken from their teams.
Publishers are tasked with reviewing materials, meeting with creators, negotiating terms, managing editors, collaborating with design, creating budgets and timelines, and helping with marketing efforts. These individuals can work in trade, textbooks, professional, or hybrid publishing.
Job outlook: Unfortunately, there is a projected 14% decline over the next ten years for publishers.
What to Know About a Master’s in English
Before completing a master’s in English, you must first obtain your bachelor’s degree in English or a related topic. Because English is such a broad field, some schools will require an area of concentration like creative writing, linguistics, multicultural literature, and renaissance literature, among others.
Those who enjoy writing, editing, or teaching will enjoy this degree. It’s an effective area of study for those interested in becoming better communicators, as it trains you to present your ideas in concise ways. Obtaining a master’s degree in English opens up opportunities in a wide variety of areas, as communication is an important component in the workplace.
As mentioned previously, obtaining a master’s in English can also open up future academic possibilities, such as entering into law. A master’s degree in English can also help your chances in fields that may not be top of mind, such as the tech industry. Being an effective communicator is crucial when discussing technical ideas.
English is a highly academic subject, and there are different advanced degrees you can pursue. The first is a Master of English, best for those looking to pursue a career in education or academics. You can also pursue a Ph.D. in English, best suited for those looking to become university professors, literary critics, or literary researchers.
Master’s in English Jobs FAQ
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What can you do with a master’s degree in English?
There are many jobs you can pursue with a master’s in English, like a teacher, author, grant writer, tutor, human resources specialist, editor, and more.
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What skills do you need for English jobs?
To be successful in English jobs, you should have skills in research, problem-solving, empathy, social awareness, writing, and editing.
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Do employees with a master’s in English get paid more?
Yes, employees with a master’s in English typically get paid more.
Author
Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research. Caitlin holds a degree in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.
