Top Jobs for Philosophy Majors

Philosophy is the study of fundamental and general problems concerning topics such as justice, credibility, mind, beauty, truth, language, existence, and knowledge. Many people believe a college degree in philosophy cannot get you a job because they related it directly to just being able to solve problems, ponder, and think about ethics all day. What many do not realize is that the basis of philosophy is used in many jobs such as nursing, psychology, and politics. Philosophy majors probably have the widest spectrum of jobs to choose from upon graduation. Here are some of the top jobs for philosophy majors.

Many philosophy majors are employed as technical writers which are writers that explain in plain English technical and scientific ideas. For example, they put together instruction manuals for electronic products such as computers or digital cameras. This career is not limited to the aforementioned example. Some work for insurance companies or the government agency, explaining complex ideas and procedures into everyday, comprehensible language. Others may write press releases and promotional materials for corporations that want to sell their services or products. Starting out, the average salary a technical writer makes a year is $60,000.

Philosophical counselors are trained philosophers that help an individual deal with an issue or conflict that has become too complex. The deal with situations when people render their life meaningless or feel trapped in a cycle and their family members or friends can no longer help them. Philosophical counselors many times deal with people who are unsatisfied with previous counseling they have received. They help hidden biases surface and dig into the individual's unconscious for answers. All the material studied as a philosophy major is directly applicable to this career, as many counselors use logical approaches to helping their clients. On average, they make about $55,000 a year.

Another career that may not immediately come to mind when talking about philosophy majors is software design. Though these types of job require training in technical and mathematical abilities, these are easily attainable by philosophy majors. The philosophical part of software design comes in when logic is applied to object-oriented programming. The masters behind almost all software design concepts are actually Plato and Aristotle. Many high-tech careers are philosophically pleasing since a vast system of software is just a large conceptual structure. Software designers start out at about $66,000 and can make over $100,000 a year with experience.