What can I do with a languages degree?

Speaking multiple languages will make you stand out to employers. If you’ve studied a language at degree level, there are lots of graduate jobs that will suit your skill set. In some roles, you’ll use your additional language(s). In other jobs, you’ll use the soft skills you’ve developed – flexibility, communication, cultural awareness and more.

Here are just a few of the careers where a languages degree will help:

• Translation
• Interpreting
• Teaching
• Consulting
• Journalism
• International development
• Working abroad in any sector

One of the most obvious careers for a linguist is translation.

Being a translator involves taking a document in one language and converting it to another – usually your native language (but not always). It’s a highly sought-after skill. Global retailers, investment banks, international bodies (ie. the World Health Organisation) and most companies that operate in multiple countries need translators.

Most translators are freelance and get work through agencies or word of mouth. By working as a contractor, you set your own hours and usually work from home, giving you the flexibility to travel and work around other commitments (such as caring for children or pets).

As a translator, you'll also likely work using translation memory tools and AI-supported software to help you work faster and more efficiently.

Further study is a big help for a translation career. You’re more likely to find employment if you’ve got a master’s degree in translation or a professional qualification from an accredited body.

Your income as a translator will depend on the type of work you do. Translating specialist texts – such as pharmaceutical literature – will earn you more.

As advancements in AI and machine translation advance, linguists can also consider jobs within translation software companies – someone has to work on training the models and checking the outputs, after all.

Interpreting is the spoken version of translation. It comes in many forms – from the simultaneous translation of a conference presentation to an audience or helping those without a shared language communicate one-on-one (whether that’s in a business environment, a police interview or a doctor’s appointment).

Interpreting shares similarities with translation, but it makes for a different day-to-day life. You need excellent stamina and concentration levels to work as an interpreter. You’ll have to think fast for long periods with few breaks. Although some interpretation takes place over the phone or via calls, you’ll also need to be willing to travel.

Like translation, the earnings from interpreting are variable. Most interpreters will work freelance via an agency. However, there are permanent roles in the field too, typically in international organisations like the United Nations.

Even with the advancement in automated AI translations, reputable organisations still rely on translators to check everything is as it should be.

Want to share your love of languages with others? Consider becoming a teacher.

To become qualified to teach a language in a UK secondary school, you either do a one-year PGCE course (PGDE in Scotland) or take a school-based training route.

Modern language teachers are in high demand, so there are financial incentives to train. If you graduate with a 2:2 or above, look out for bursaries or scholarships.

If you work in a school funded by the local authority, the average salary for a teacher is between £31,650 and £49,084 (or more in London) as of September 2024.

Your teaching options aren’t limited to schools. Your understanding of linguistics also makes you well-suited to teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). EFL and ESOL use similar teaching methods with the biggest difference usually being where you teach.

Typically, EFL is where people learn English in a non-English-speaking country. So, EFL teachers will often work abroad. Usually, overseas contracts are short-term, meaning you can experience living in various countries. However, if you’re looking to stay in the UK or are after something more stable, private language schools also run EFL courses for international students. To get a job teaching EFL, you’ll need a specialist teaching certificate. These courses take around five weeks full-time.

As an ESOL teacher, you’ll help people learn English in an English-speaking country (ie. the UK). Usually, you’ll support new residents such as refugees, asylum seekers and others who’ve moved from a non-English-speaking country. You’ll need a certification to teach ESOL classes. The most recognised is the CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

As a consultant, your job is to solve other people’s problems. Consultancy firms give businesses expert advice in management, HR, strategy and even IT.

Several consultancy firms recruit directly out of universities, snapping up smart graduates with excellent problem-solving skills. Because the biggest consultancy firms are international, modern languages grads are a great fit. With a languages degree, you’re used to relating to other cultures and will probably be more open to working abroad. Depending on where your company operates, you might get the opportunity to use the language in your work.

An appealing aspect of a consulting career is the consultant salary. According to the National Careers Service, a management consultant earns between £27,000 as a starter salary to £60,000 once experienced.

Consulting is one of the most competitive sectors out there, so you’ll need to work hard to stand out from the crowd. Consultancy firms don’t offer as many internship schemes as other sectors (such as investment banking), so you’ll need to gather relevant experience and develop your professional skills in your own way.

Language grads are good at gathering and assessing information about different cultures, are experienced at listening and writing and have excellent attention to detail. With those skills, it’s no surprise that they make great journalists.

You don’t need to study English or Journalism at an undergraduate level to succeed. A Journalism MA or short course will give you practical journalism skills.

In international news agencies, it’s a huge advantage to speak multiple languages.

International development is a broad area that involves working with developing countries on goals such as preventing disease, improving infrastructure and making education more widely available.

While many international development roles are for trained medics, engineers and other specialists, others are open to all graduates. There will be opportunities to get involved in training, administration, communications and research. Often, the roles open to you will depend on the languages you speak. Even if the job is in a country where you don’t already speak the main language, your skills will mean you’ll find it easier than most to pick up vocab.

Did you study French? Look for opportunities in France, Canada, Belgium, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg or any other French-speaking countries where your language skills will help you communicate with colleagues, clients and customers. You don’t have to limit yourself to any sector – you just need your language skills to be able to do the job as well as a local.

If you apply directly to an overseas employer, do some serious research on the country’s job market, cost of living, culture and visa requirements. If a country has a lack of skilled candidates in an industry that interests you, you’re more likely to get a visa sponsorship from your new employer.

A small percentage of grad schemes at multinational corporations are also located abroad. Others, such as consulting and banking schemes, allow travel but you’ll still be based in the UK.

There are so many jobs you can do with a languages degree. The most obvious routes are translating, interpreting and teaching. However, there are other opportunities if those don’t interest you. A languages degree is particularly desirable to consulting and journalism employers. Plus, speaking another language makes it easier to work abroad – whether that’s as part of an international development project or by starting a new life in a country where you speak the lingo.

Overwhelmed by all the options? Don’t fret. You’re not alone. Check out our guide on why it’s OK to have no idea what to do. If you’re looking for direction, give our career test path a go too. It matches you with sectors that align with your values and skills.

Last updated February 2025. Estimated salary information and qualification requirements may change over time.