Credit: SeventyFourIf you major in philosophy, as I did, you will inevitably get jokes about whether they're hiring at the philosophy factory. The truth, though, is that philosophy majors have above-average earnings compared to the typical college graduate. And that's not just a function of would-be philosophers going to law school.
And that's not just a function of would-be philosophers going to law school. People whose terminal degree is a bachelor's in philosophy earn pretty good money. Most philosophy departments have a line about this, pitching students on the very real value of the skills that philosophy undergraduates practice.
Most philosophy departments have a line about this, pitching students on the very real value of the skills that philosophy undergraduates practice. I don't think those departmental lines are wrong, exactly. Skills like reading texts closely, understanding the logical structure of arguments, and writing persuasively certainly do come in handy in a wide range of settings.