American Sign Language

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Total Degrees
Awarded in 2019

2,762

growing 3.83%

Median In-State
Public Tuition

$5,928

growing 5.01%

Median Out-of-State
Private Tuition

$27,175

growing 1.61%

Average Wage

$72,080

growing 1.59%

People in Workforce

497,149

growing 2.14%

Average Employee Age

43.9

declining 0.668%

About

The locations with the highest concentration of American Sign Language degree recipients are Fort Worth, TX, Austin, TX, and Washington, DC. The locations with a relatively high number of American Sign Language degree recipients are Fulton, MO, Keuka Park, NY, and Mishawaka, IN. The most common degree awarded to students studying American Sign Language is a associates degree.

Photo by Elvert Barnes

Language & Linguistics

Institutions

Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in American Sign Language and the types of students that study this field. Tarrant County College District awards the most degrees in American Sign Language in the US, but Gallaudet University and William Woods University have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in American Sign Language.

Tuition costs for American Sign Language majors are, on average, $5,928 for in-state public colleges, and $27,175 for out of state private colleges.

The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers American Sign Language programs are Public, 2-year institutions (129 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Public, 2-year (1,566 completions).

Institutions

Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in American Sign Language

The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in American Sign Language, is Public, 2-year (1,566 completions).

The following chart shows the share of universities that offer American Sign Language programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$5,928

Median In-State Public

$27,175

Median Out of State Private

Tarrant County College District has the most American Sign Language degree recipients, with 111 degrees awarded in 2019.

The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in American Sign Language.

Specialized Colleges

Highest Concentration Institution

Out of all institutions that offer American Sign Language programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, Gallaudet University and William Woods University have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in American Sign Language, with 21.2% and 5.61%, respectively.

Degrees Awarded by County

Counties with the Most Degrees Awarded in American Sign Language

This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest number of degrees awarded in American Sign Language by year.

Growth in Awarded Degrees

Counties with the Fastest Growing Number of Degrees Awarded

This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest growth in degrees awarded for American Sign Language.

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Language & Linguistics graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

The average salary for Language & Linguistics majors is $72,080 and the most common occupations are Postsecondary teachers, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Secondary school teachers.

The industry that employs the most Language & Linguistics majors is Elementary & secondary schools, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Electronic shopping and mail-order houses.

Wages

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

$72,080

Average Wage in Workforce

± $2,746

1.59%

1 Year Growth

± 5.35%

The average salary for Language & Linguistics majors is $72,080 and the most common occupations are Postsecondary teachers, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Secondary school teachers.

This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Language & Linguistics majors.

Highest Paying Locations

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

Highest Paying Pumas

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Language & Linguistics majors.

Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Language & Linguistics majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

Occupations

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

The most common occupations Language & Linguistics majors, by number of employees, are Postsecondary teachers, Elementary & middle school teachers, and Secondary school teachers.

Most Specialized

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Language & Linguistics majors working as Interpreters and translators, Librarians and media collections specialists, and Postsecondary teachers.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

The highest paid occupations by median income for Language & Linguistics majors are Dentists, Surgeons, and Physicians.

Occupations by Share

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

497,149

2019 Workforce

± 17,282

2.14%

1 Year Growth

± 4.84%

The number of Language & Linguistics graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 2.14%, from 486,746 in 2018 to 497,149 in 2019.

The largest single share of Language & Linguistics graduates go on to work as Postsecondary teachers (7.88%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Language & Linguistics by share of the total number of graduates.

Industries

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

The most common industries that employ Language & Linguistics majors, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools, Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

The highest paying industries of Language & Linguistics majors, by average wage, are Electronic shopping and mail-order houses, Management of companies & enterprises, and Electric power generation, transmission & distribution.

Industries by Share

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

497,149

2019 Workforce

± 17,282

2.14%

1 Year Growth

± 4.84%

The number of Language & Linguistics graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 2.14%, from 486,746 in 2018 to 497,149 in 2019.

The industry which employs the most Language & Linguistics graduates by share is Elementary & secondary schools, followed by Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Language & Linguistics.

Specialty Locations

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

PUMAS with a relatively high number of Language & Linguistics majors

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Language & Linguistics majors.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Language & Linguistics in the United States. The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Language & Linguistics is 43.9, and the most common degree type these workers hold is a Associates Degree. Female employees are more likely to hold Language & Linguistics degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Language & Linguistics (1,720 students).

Workforce Age

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

43.9

Average Age in 2019

± 0.479 Years

0.668%

1 Year Change

± 1.56%

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Language & Linguistics. The most common ages of employees with this major are 31 and 32 years old, which represent 3.48% and 3.17% of the population, respectively.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in American Sign Language are Associates Degree, < 1 Year Postsecondary Certificate, and Bachelors Degree.

Workforce Degrees

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

The most common degree types held by the working population in Language & Linguistics are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Professional degree.

Gender Imbalance for Common Institutions

Female (86.7%)

Most Common Gender with a Degree in this Field

This chart shows the granted degrees by gender at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in American Sign Language.

Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
1,720 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
579 degrees awarded
Black or African American
200 degrees awarded

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in American Sign Language for each race & ethnicity. White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Gender Combination

White Female
356 degrees awarded
White Male
46 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
35 degrees awarded

This chart illustrates the differences by gender for each race & ethnicity of Bachelors Degree recipients in American Sign Language. White Female students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and gender.

Global Diversity

The closest comparable data for the 4 Digit Course American Sign Language is from the 2 Digit Course Language & Linguistics.

Most Common Countries of Origin

China
9,323 degree recipients
Mexico
8,548 degree recipients
Korea
7,805 degree recipients

High Relative Number of Students

Belgium
8.92 times more than expected
Spain
7.57 times more than expected
Switzerland
5.97 times more than expected

There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Belgium that hold Language & Linguistics degrees (8.92 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is China (9,323 degree recipients).

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the American Sign Language field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. American Sign Language majors need many skills, but most especially Speaking. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that American Sign Language majors need more than the average amount of Technology Design, Programming, and Active Listening.

These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for American Sign Language majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Technology Design is very distinctive for majors, but the Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and Writing are the three most important skills for people in the field.

Radar Distribution

Bar Chart

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