Jobs for English Majors: Practical, Creative, and Lucrative Paths
A degree in English opens the door to far more than just teaching or translating.
With strong communication, analysis, and storytelling skills, English majors are uniquely equipped for careers in various industries.
Here is a wide range of career options that blend creativity, practicality, and strong earning potential. Let’s explore them.
Practical career paths
- ESL teacher or English instructor
Many English majors opt for English teaching as their career choice. After earning a degree in English, this is usually the most logical career path. As a language teacher, you can work in many different schools teaching literature, writing, or English as a second language.
Another great option is to teach English abroad. Your English degree can take you anywhere in the world, where you can work as an English instructor and help others learn this language. Many popular destinations to teach English abroad include China, South Korea, Japan, Costa Rica, the UAE, Thailand, and South America.
- Technical writer
If teaching is not the path you want to follow, there are other equally practical roles. For example, you can become a technical writer.
A technical writer’s job is to translate complex technical information into user-friendly content for a specific audience. So, some of the most common jobs you can have as a technical writer are to write user manuals, how-to guides, FAQs, and training materials.
As a technical writer, you can work in many different industries and companies, such as software and tech companies, engineering firms, healthcare and medical device companies, aerospace and manufacturing, as well as government and education.
- Human resource specialist
Similarly, you can go into HR with your English language degree. A human resource (HR) specialist helps an organization attract, support, and retain its workforce effectively and legally. If you opt for this career path, your job will be recruitment and hiring, employee relations, HR compliance, and training and development. HR jobs are usually office jobs, so if you don’t mind that, maybe HR is the way to go.
Creative career paths
- Novelist or author
Jobs you can do as an English major can also be creative. If you are creative and love writing, you can become a novelist or an author.
A novelist or author writes original fiction or nonfiction works, such as novels, stories, or books, often involving research, editing, and collaboration with publishers, while also promoting their work to reach readers.
Being a writer of this kind often involves working independently, and income can vary greatly. Some authors make a living solely from book sales, while others supplement with teaching, freelancing, or speaking engagements.
- Copywriter
A copywriter’s job is to create persuasive and engaging written content to promote products, services, or brands. Their goal is to drive action, like making a purchase, signing up, or clicking a link.
As a copywriter, your main job might be to write advertisements, website content, emails, social media posts, and product descriptions.
In short, a copywriter uses words to sell ideas, build brand identity, and connect with audiences.
- Journalist
Yet another very creative job path you might decide to follow is journalism. As a journalist, you will do research, investigate, and report news stories to inform the public through written, visual, or audio content. This job is not for the faint of heart because it often implies working under tight deadlines and adhering to accuracy and ethical standards.
Lucrative Career Paths
- Marketing manager
For more lucrative career paths, you might want to go into marketing waters. A Marketing manager, for instance, develops and oversees strategies to promote a company’s products or services.
Their goal is to attract customers, increase sales, and build brand awareness through campaigns, market research, and team coordination. If this is something that appeals to you, then marketing is your true career path.
- UX writer / Content designer
A UX writer or content designer creates clear, concise, and user-friendly text (called microcopy) for digital interfaces, like buttons, menus, error messages, and onboarding screens, to guide users through a product and enhance their overall experience.
Basically, your job as a UX writer is to create the words people read when using apps, websites, or software, ensuring the content is helpful, consistent, and aligned with the user’s needs.
- Grant writer
If you have a way with words, then you might consider becoming a grant writer. Grant writers craft persuasive proposals that explain a project’s goals, needs, and impact to convince funders to provide financial support.
Your main job would be to research, write, and submit proposals to secure funding from government agencies, foundations, or other organizations, typically for nonprofits, schools, or research institutions.
Conclusion
The myth that English degrees limit you to teaching or low-paying jobs couldn’t be further from the truth.
English majors bring critical soft skills—writing, analysis, creativity, and empathy—that employers value across industries.
Whether you’re drawn to artistic expression, organizational communication, or high-paying strategy roles, there’s a career path out there that fits both your passion and your paycheck goals.
