These days, a lot of people are asking the question “What jobs can I get with an international relations degree?” and more often than not the answer is one big shrug. My advice is: don’t worry about it. An international relations degree will open many doors, but they may not be the ones you’re expecting.
If you’re considering an international relations degree, it’s important to know what jobs are available to graduates.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for a Master’s Degree holder in international relations is $63,000 per year. That’s higher than the national average for Master’s Degrees ($52,000) and higher than the national average for social science degrees ($50,000).
You can find a salary report for your specific field at payscale.com. To use this tool, enter the center of your career search into the search bar and then click on “salary.” The tool will show you what jobs are available in your area and what those jobs pay.
In addition to high salaries, international relations graduates often have a wide range of job opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, some common careers for those with an international relations degree include:
Foreign Service Officer
Information Security Analyst
Human Resource Management Specialist
What jobs can i get with an international relations degree
Introduction
Wondering what to do with an international relations degree? You’re in luck! There are loads of jobs that can turn your love of other languages and cultures into a career. It’s also good news if you’re looking for a secure job: many of the possible careers in this field have high growth potential, especially as our world becomes increasingly globalized.
Here are just some of the career paths you could pursue with an international relations degree:
Politics
- You can work in the government. Politicians need people to help them get elected. These jobs may be in a political party, or they may be with an agency that works on foreign policy issues within the government (like the State Department or the National Security Council).
- You can work as a lobbyist. Companies lobby for all sorts of reasons, including gaining government favor and eliminating regulations that would hurt their business. If you’re interested in politics and have strong communication skills, this might be right up your alley!
- You can work as a campaign manager or strategist: Campaigns need people who know how to run them effectively so they win elections! These positions require tactful negotiating skills and excellent planning abilities—they are high-pressure jobs where even one misstep could lose an election for a candidate who needs every vote possible to come out ahead against their opponent(s). However, these occupations also provide opportunities for career advancement within larger organizations such as political parties or think tanks—and even if it means starting over from scratch again somewhere else entirely (say at some point down the road), there’ll always be another chance around here somewhere…
Finance
One of the most common jobs for people with an international relations degree is finance.
You can get a job in any of the following areas:
- Bank – working as a banker, analyst or financial advisor
- Insurance company – working as an insurance broker or underwriter
- Business – managing foreign exchange or performing other financial services for businesses and corporations
Law
Lawyers are required to have a degree in law. They help people with legal issues, such as divorce or bankruptcy. Lawyers can work in many different industries, including government and the private sector. They also work in non-profit organizations that provide legal services to low-income people who cannot afford them on their own.
Publishing
If you have an international relations degree, you can get a job in publishing. There are many different types of jobs in the publishing field:
- Journalist
- Translator
- Copy editor
- Proofreader
- Technical writer
- Media producer
Diplomacy
As a diplomat, you’ll be the person who negotiates with other countries on behalf of your own country. The job requires a lot of patience, tact and multitasking. You’ll need to negotiate things like trade agreements and foreign aid that help strengthen ties between nations and improve diplomatic relations between governments.
You can also find work as an international affairs analyst or researcher for an NGO (non-governmental organization), think tank or government agency. Your research will focus on specific topics related to international relations (e.g., terrorism in Asia) so that policymakers have access to unbiased information about global issues that can help them make better decisions about national security matters such as military conflict prevention strategies or economic development initiatives abroad
You can get several types of jobs with an international relations degree
- Politics
- Law
- Finance
Conclusion
If you’re still in the process of choosing a university to attend, or you’re about to graduate and haven’t decided on a career path yet, it might be time for some serious thinking about what type of jobs are available within your field. There are many options out there for students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations—whether they want to work in government or an NGO
