A Linguist's Salary

Linguists often work closely with historians and archaeologists.

Linguists are social scientists who study how languages have emerged, evolved, spread and died, and look at how they have influenced society. They may specialize in a single language or the interactions between several. Salary levels for the role are comparable with other anthropologists -- scientists who study human behavior.

Average Salary

For the purposes of its national employment survey of May 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classified linguists alongside their fellow anthropologists, working in socio-cultural, physical and biological anthropology, and their close colleagues archeologists. It reported that the mean annual salary across this occupational grouping was $58,040, equivalent to $27.90 per hour. Those in the top 10 percent of earners received wages in excess of $89,440, while those in the bottom 10 percent earned less than $31,310 per annum. At the time of publication, wage comparison website SimplyHired.com put the average salary within linguistics specifically at $49,000.

Salary by Industry

The majority of anthropologists, such as linguists, work within either scientific research and development services or the federal executive branch. The bureau listed the mean yearly wages within these sectors as $50,840 and $71,940, respectively. Those individuals working as consultants earned $50,300, while those in academia -- colleges, universities and professional schools -- received $49,250. The bureau listed the mean annual wage within museums, historical sites and similar institutions as $49,090. In July 2011, the Economic Research Institute put the average salary for a linguist working in the engineering and scientific professions at $73,921.

Salary by Location

Location can also influence the pay packets of linguists. The bureau listed District of Columbia as the state in which, across all industry sectors, anthropologists and archeologists were likely to receive the highest wages, with a mean of $92,570. Massachusetts and Hawaii completed the top three with means of $72,150 and $69,020, respectively. Pennsylvania and California had almost identical pay rates -- $66,740 and $66,460, respectively -- while South Dakota was among the states with the lowest wages, just $44,650.

Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the job market for anthropologists, such as linguists, to increase by around 28 percent over the decade from 2008 to 2018. This compares with a national growth rate projected at between 7 and 13 percent over the same time. The largest growth sector will be in consulting services, with individuals applying their skills and knowledge across a range of industries. As such, wage levels for the role should remain very competitive over the coming years.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics; Social Scientists, Other; December 2009
• Bureau of Labor Statistics; Occupational Employment and Wages - Anthropologists and Archeologists; May 2010
• Simply Hired; Linguistics Salaries; July 2011
• Economic Research Institute; Scientific Linguist Salary Survey Data; July 2011

Resources

• Linguistic Society of America