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Organizational Communication

Types of Degrees Organizational Communication Majors Are Earning

Those studying Organizational Communication have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	1
Bachelor’s Degree	1,287
Master’s Degree	498
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Organizational Communication Majors Need to Know

Studies in Organizational Communication build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Organizational Communication graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Organizational Communication emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 6.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Personnel and Human Resources — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Organizational Communication program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Organizational Communication careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Organizational Communication graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.7 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Providing Consultation and Advice to Others	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Organizational Communication professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Oracle PeopleSoft	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Human resource management software HRMS	Human resources software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Organizational Communication graduates include:

• Development Coordinator
• Development Associate
• HR Trainer (Human Resources Trainer)
• Training Supervisor
• Software Trainer
• Bilingual Trainer
• Insurance Employee Trainer
• Technical Instructor
• Sales Training Specialist
• Industrial Trainer
• Learning and Development Specialist (L and D Specialist)
• Cyber Instructional Curriculum Developer
• Research and Development Specialist (R and D Specialist)
• Applications Trainer
• IT Technical Trainer (Information Technology Technical Trainer)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Organizational Communication graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	77.4%
Master’s degree	7.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.5%
Some college courses	1.8%
Postsecondary certificate	1.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Organizational Communication?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 69.2% of Organizational Communication degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,238	69.2%
Men	551	30.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Organizational Communication graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	976	54.6%
Asian	34	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	243	13.6%
Black or African American	241	13.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.2%
Two or More Races	62	3.5%
Race Unknown	163	9.1%
International Students	60	3.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Organizational Communication Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Organizational Communication graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,317
4 years	$55,248
5 years	$64,495

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,495 — roughly 49% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Organizational Communication Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Organizational Communication. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	8	11
Master’s	11	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Organizational Communication Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Organizational Communication graduates earn a median of $55,248 four years after completion — roughly 45% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	19,636
Advertising	4,308
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	4,077
Public Relations/Image Management	4,061
Communication Management and Strategic Communications	1,956
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other	1,296
Sports Communication	1,202
Health Communication	362
Political Communication	211
Technical and Scientific Communication	191
International and Intercultural Communication	183

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.