Is Communication a Good Major?
When choosing a career, many questions arise: Do you have the necessary skills? Does the field have growth potential? Will you earn the salary you expect after graduating? Is your preferred major a good choice?
If you’ve landed on this article, you’re probably already considering communication as an option and have some questions on your mind. To help answer them, let's break down what a communication major is, explore job opportunities, compare it with other degrees, and look at recent data to see if it’s a wise choice.
What Is a Communication Major?
A communication major is about understanding how people share information through words, visuals, or digital platforms. It covers different skills, such as public speaking, persuasive writing, media, advertising and social media strategies.
A communication major explores different areas. For example, you can learn how to create viral campaigns to strengthen a brand’s positioning, craft captivating stories that engage people, or even manage a company’s image during a crisis. As a student, you’ll become proficient in crafting messages for different audiences, writing press releases, designing social media campaigns and delivering persuasive speeches.
Most programs will offer you options to focus on your interests. If you're passionate about storytelling, you could consider concentrating on digital media, video production and editing. On the other hand, if you prefer to specialize in internal communications, investor relations, corporate branding and crisis management, you might opt for a corporate communication degree.
Ultimately, one of the biggest advantages of communication is its flexibility, allowing you to work in different areas and transition between them easily throughout your career.
Career Prospects for Communication Majors
With a communication degree, you can develop highly valued skills such as writing clearly, speaking confidently, analyzing information, and using media to engage and captivate audiences.
So, ? Here are some of the most common career paths for communication grads:
- Public Relations
- Marketing and Advertising
- Journalism
- Corporate Communications
- Human Resources
- Event Planning
- Social and Digital Media
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects jobs in media and communication to grow at an average pace from 2023 to 2033, with about 109,500 job openings each year. These openings come from new job growth and the need to replace workers who leave the field.
Communication careers can be competitive when it comes to earnings. As of May 2023, the median annual wage for media and communication professionals—like public relations specialists, news analysts, and writers—was $66,320, significantly higher than the overall median wage of $48,060. Even media and communication equipment workers, such as film editors and photographers, earned a median salary of $53,850.
Some of the highest-paying jobs with a communication degree are in corporate communication, digital marketing, and public relations, where salaries can far exceed these median figures, especially with experience and specialization.
Salary Comparisons With Other Majors
When evaluating the financial viability of a communication degree, it's helpful to compare it with other fields.
While the average projected starting salary for communication majors rose 4.8% from 2022 to 2023, increasing from $55,455 to $58,097, their average starting salary still lags behind some other disciplines.
According to ZipRecruiter and Glassdoor data, business majors had an average yearly starting salary of $74,477. In contrast, entry-level communication salaries averaged $58,401 per year (this estimated annual pay includes additional compensation such as bonuses, commissions, tips, and profit sharing).
It's also worth noting that lifetime earnings can vary significantly based on the field of study. For example, a communication major offers a median lifetime income of $2.55 million. On the other hand, degrees in computer science, health and medical preparation, finance, and economics tend to lead to the highest lifetime earnings.
Here's a comparative overview of average starting salaries for various majors:

Is Communication the Right Major for You?
As mentioned, one of the main advantages of a communication major is its versatility and flexibility. Although it may not be among the highest-paying professions, it has the greatest growth potential.
With technology rapidly evolving, communication professionals are well-positioned to leverage new platforms and trends.
Think about it this way: the digital advertising and marketing market is experiencing rapid growth and is expected to reach a valuation of $1.5 trillion by 2030. This expansion will demand more professionals to lead online campaigns and strategies, such as SEO specialists, content strategists, social media managers, digital marketing experts and media planning specialists.
Additionally, companies increasingly need professionals to handle internal and external messaging, crisis communication and brand management, so they seek professionals trained in corporate communications.
Before making a choice, consider your skills and abilities and make sure to choose a career that aligns with them. If you need personalized guidance, you can reach out to one of our enrollment coaches to help you make the best decision.