Post job
Average liberal arts major salary
Updated September 14, 2023
$39,349

What is the average liberal arts major salary in the US?

The national average salary for a liberal arts major graduate in the United States is $39,349 per year or $18.92 per hour.The top 10 percent make over $77,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent make under $19,000 per year.health care companies and non profits companies are the best when it comes to the number of employment opportunities.States with the highest salaries for liberal arts major graduates include New York, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
Best paying cities
$47,298
$47,189
$47,158

Average liberal arts salary by company

Liberal arts major graduates report their job security as good. But just as in every field, some employers pay higher wages than others.health care companies and non profits companies tend to have the highest concentration of employment for liberal arts major graduates.The two companies that report the highest salaries for liberal arts major graduates are JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citi.In addition, companies like Xerox and Cedars-Sinai report highly competitive salaries for liberal arts majors.

Average liberal arts major salary by city

Across America, liberal arts major graduates make on average $39,349 annually or $18.92 hourly.liberal arts major graduates make the most in New York, NY at about $47,298 per year.The New York, NY average entry-level salary for liberal arts majors is $22,000.Other top cities with competitive salaries are Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, Seattle, WA, Baltimore, MD, and Philadelphia, PA.New York, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Massachusetts are the top 5 highest earning states for liberal arts major graduates.Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas are the lowest earners.

Average salary by location

RankCityAverage liberal arts salarySalary range
1New York, NY
$47,298
$25k
$70k
2Washington, DC
$47,189
$25k
$70k
3San Francisco, CA
$47,158
$25k
$70k
4Boston, MA
$44,809
$25k
$70k
5Seattle, WA
$43,214
$25k
$70k
6Baltimore, MD
$41,718
$25k
$70k
7Philadelphia, PA
$40,125
$25k
$70k
8Portland, OR
$40,112
$25k
$70k
9Rochester, NH
$39,341
$25k
$70k
10Richmond, VA
$39,183
$25k
$70k
11Minneapolis, MN
$38,929
$25k
$70k
12Chicago, IL
$38,620
$25k
$70k
13Portland, ME
$38,435
$25k
$70k
14Detroit, MI
$38,354
$25k
$70k
15Denver, CO
$37,819
$25k
$70k
16Las Vegas, NV
$37,763
$25k
$70k
17Phoenix, AZ
$37,564
$25k
$70k
18Cleveland, OH
$37,436
$25k
$70k
19Milwaukee, WI
$37,243
$25k
$70k
20San Antonio, TX
$36,640
$25k
$70k

Average liberal arts major salary by state

The darker areas on the map show where liberal arts majors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average salary

Liberal arts major average salary by state

StateAverage liberal arts major salaryAverage hourly rate
New York$47,394$22.79
California$45,598$21.92
Connecticut$45,345$21.80
New Jersey$45,301$21.78
Massachusetts$45,111$21.69
Washington$43,005$20.68
Rhode Island$42,910$20.63
Maryland$41,492$19.95
Hawaii$41,038$19.73
Delaware$40,806$19.62
Oregon$40,426$19.44
New Hampshire$39,945$19.20
Alaska$39,914$19.19
Pennsylvania$39,846$19.16
Virginia$39,451$18.97
Vermont$39,127$18.81
Minnesota$38,992$18.75
Illinois$38,513$18.52
Michigan$38,370$18.45
Maine$38,191$18.36
Nevada$37,961$18.25
Colorado$37,877$18.21
North Dakota$37,573$18.06
Arizona$37,520$18.04
Wisconsin$37,254$17.91
Ohio$36,611$17.60
Texas$36,326$17.46
North Carolina$35,680$17.15
Wyoming$35,299$16.97
West Virginia$35,006$16.83
Indiana$34,771$16.72
Iowa$34,675$16.67
Georgia$34,464$16.57
New Mexico$34,429$16.55
South Dakota$34,258$16.47
Nebraska$34,213$16.45
Utah$34,162$16.42
Idaho$34,145$16.42
Missouri$34,039$16.36
Florida$33,962$16.33
Tennessee$33,850$16.27
Kansas$33,838$16.27
Montana$33,751$16.23
Kentucky$33,683$16.19
Alabama$33,406$16.06
South Carolina$32,974$15.85
Louisiana$32,675$15.71
Oklahoma$32,525$15.64
Arkansas$31,794$15.29
Mississippi$31,637$15.21

Average liberal arts major salary by industry

Liberal arts major salaries can vary depending on the industry.Our data shows that finance companies, government companies, and manufacturing companies tend to have the highest salaries for liberal arts major graduates.finance companies pay liberal arts major graduates an average salary of $35,730, government companies pay $35,532, and manufacturing companies come in at $35,309.The average liberal arts major salary in the retail industry is lower than the rest, coming in at $30,792.

Average salary by industry

RankIndustryAverage liberal arts major salaryRange
1
Finance
$35,730
$24k
$44k
2
Government
$35,532
$24k
$44k
3
Manufacturing
$35,309
$24k
$44k
4
Health Care
$35,020
$24k
$44k
5
Telecommunication
$33,788
$24k
$44k
6
Technology
$33,330
$24k
$44k
7
Professional
$32,491
$24k
$44k
8
Hospitality
$32,058
$24k
$44k
9
Retail
$30,792
$24k
$44k

Salary history for liberal arts major graduates

This data shows the national average salary between 2011-2020 among Liberal Arts major graduates.

Salaries for related majors

RankMajorAverage salaryRange
1General Studies
$37,942
$27k
$52k