Career Options After 12th Arts/Humanities - Check Education Requirement, Salary

At one time, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics were considered the default choices for students. However, with changing times, students are exploring diverse career options after 12th humanities with high salary. The Arts/Humanities stream now stands as a career path that offers a wide range of lucrative opportunities in various fields such as law, psychology, media and international relations.

Contrary to popular belief, today's humanities job opportunities, high salary are not limited to a few traditional fields. Students from these fields can go for a plethora of interesting humanities job opportunities. In this article, we will be discussing some of the highest-paying jobs for humanities students in India, along with their educational requirements and potential career areas. Let’s begin.

What is the Arts/Humanities Stream?

The Arts or Humanities stream is an academic discipline that explores human society, behaviour, and culture. These disciplines include,

• History, Political Science, and Sociology

• Anthropology, archaeology and human history

• Psychology and philosophy

• Languages, law, literature, and Linguistics

• Law and International Relations

• Performing Arts and Visual Arts

• Media and Communication

Students who pursue these disciplines develop skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical reasoning, along with oral and written communication skills. These skills are highly in demand, making career options after 12th arts one of the most significant and essential paths today.

Best Career Options After 12th Arts/Humanities

There are more than 100 promising career options after 12th Humanities, with immense scope and earning potential. Let us take a look at some of the top career options after 12th humanities with high salary in India.

(Salary source: Ambitionbox)

1. International Relationship Executive

As an International Relationship Executive, you will be required to manage global client communications and international business operations. This is one of the unique and trending career options after 12th Humanities for students who are interested in international affairs and diplomatic interactions.

Educational Requirements:

To become an International Relationship Executive, candidates are required to complete their bachelor's in International Business, Marketing, Economics, Political Science, or a related discipline. Proficiency in foreign languages, followed by post-graduation-level studies, can enhance your career prospects in this field.

Average Salary:

• Rs 2.2 Lakhs - 5.8 Lakhs

2. Psychologist

Becoming a psychologist is a great career choice for humanities students, as this is one of the most respected humanities job opportunities high salary. Psychologists are responsible for studying emotional, social, cognitive, and behavioural issues by observing, testing, and analysing records/history. They diagnose mental disorders and treat them through observation, analysis, and therapy. A psychologist is required to have analytical ability, communication skills, patience, problem-solving skills, trustworthiness and observational skills. These professionals can be employed in hospitals, schools, corporations, rehabilitation centres, special schools, mental health clinics, and so on.

Educational Requirements:

To become a Psychologist, you need to obtain a Bachelor's degree in Psychology followed by a Master’s degree in a related specialisation, such as Applied Behaviour Analysis (Psychology), Applied Psychology, Behavioural Neuroscience, Counselling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Expressive Arts Therapy.

Average Salary:

• Rs. 1.4 Lakh - 8 Lakhs

3. Lawyer

A lawyer provides legal aid to individuals and businesses. Legal professionals are regarded as prestigious and privileged, and are among the highest-paying jobs for humanities students in India. Students can specialise in areas like Corporate Law, International Law, Human Rights Law, Cyber Law, Environmental Law, Bankruptcy, Tax and Family Law.

Educational Requirements:

You can either pursue a 5-year B.A./B.Com./B.B.A. LL.B. program or a 3-year LL.B. program after graduation.

Average Salary:

• Rs. 1.5 Lakh - 12.9 Lakhs

4. Foreign Language Expert

Foreign Language experts are in demand and are one of the lucrative career options after 12th arts. These professionals can work as a trainer, teacher, translator, writer or a flight attendant. This is an ideal field for students with strong linguistic abilities who can ace translation and smooth communication for cultural exchanges and business transactions.

Educational Requirements

To become a Foreign Language Expert, there is no mandatory educational requirement. Any degree and proficiency in any foreign language, such as French, German, Spanish, Chinese or Japanese, is sufficient to kick-start a career as a Foreign Language expert in India.

Also Read: Career as Foreign Language Interpreter

Average Salary:

• Rs. 3.5 Lakhs - 8.2 Lakhs

Read further to know more about the highest-paying jobs for humanities students in India.

Related: Online Foreign Language Courses & Certifications

5. Social Worker

A Social Worker helps people to help themselves. They are trained professionals aimed at social welfare by assisting people and communities in need. Social work as a profession is mainly aimed at supporting people in challenging situations, empowering them to better cope with their struggles and protecting them in the future.

Social work is one of the popular and fulfilling career options after 12th Humanities. Social workers can work at NGOs, Correctional Homes, Mental Health Clinics, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) departments of renowned companies.

Educational Requirements

To build your career as a Social Worker, you need to pursue a Bachelor of Social Work(BSW) or Psychology, followed by an MSW (Master’s in Social Work).

Average Salary:

• Rs. 0.6 Lakh - 8.7 Lakhs

Related: Online Social Work Courses & Certifications

6. Journalist

Journalism is a profession with high social responsibility and significance. They serve as the fourth pillar of democracy by bridging the gap between the government and the common public. A journalist objectively covers news without any personal bias to create awareness about the status quo. Contrary to popular belief, Journalism is not just limited to being a journalist. These exciting career options after 12th arts can lead one to various job roles like Public Relations Manager, Film Maker, Blogger, Cinematographer, Film Editor, Production Designer, Radio Jockey and more.

Also Read: Mass Communication Course

Educational Requirements

One needs to have a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in any specialisation such as Advertising, Film Making or Public Relations. For those who wish to pursue fields like Cinematography, Photography, and Event Management, doing short-term certification courses alongside formal degrees will be beneficial.

Average Salary:

• Rs. 1 Lakh - 8.2 Lakhs

7. Hospitality Professional

Hospitality is a vast and versatile field. This lucrative humanities job opportunities high salary offers numerous opportunities in areas such as Hotel Management and Travel and Tourism. Aspirants must have good communication skills and the ability to effectively interact with people. This is an ideal career option after 12th humanities with high salary as it provides various employment opportunities such as hotel managers, front office executives, and travel planners. Travel agencies like Make My Trip, SOTC are top recruiters for hospitality professionals.

Also Read: Hospitality Management Course

Educational Requirements

Students should pursue a Bachelor’s in Hotel Management or Hospitality Management.

Average Salary:

• Rs. 1.4 Lakh - 14.4 Lakhs

8. Civil Servant (IAS, IPS, IFS)

Serving the nation as a civil servant is a highly prestigious and privileged career options after 12th humanities with high salary. Humanities subjects like Political Science, History, Public Administration, and Sociology are a major part of the syllabus of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams. This provides a competitive advantage for aspirants with a humanities background. A civil servant is responsible for policy formulation, its implementation and public administration at different levels of government.

Educational Requirements:

A bachelor's degree in any discipline is the minimum requirement. The main step is to clear the highly competitive Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the UPSC.

Average Salary:

Rs 7 Lakhs - 12.5 Lakhs. The gross salary includes basic pay and various allowances, increasing and varying significantly with the seniority levels of the officials.

9. Professor

If you are someone with a strong passion for teaching and mentoring, becoming a professor can be one of the great career options after 12th Humanities. A career in teaching after humanities is ideal for those with a deep subject knowledge in History, English Literature, or Political Science.

Educational Requirements:

A Master's degree in the relevant subject with at least 55% marks, followed by qualifying the UGC-NET (National Eligibility Test) or possessing a Ph.D. degree, is mandatory for university-level teaching positions.

Average Salary:

Rs 3 Lakhs - 36 Lakhs

10. Designer (Fashion, Interior, Graphic)

Those students who have a creative interest towards a career in design can undoubtedly go for roles like Fashion designer, Interior designer and Graphic Designer. Professionals in this field apply their aesthetic sense and technical skills to create products, spaces and visuals.

Educational Requirements:

A Bachelor of Design (B.Des) from reputed institutes like the National Institute of Design (NID) or National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is highly valued. Diploma courses are also a popular entry route.

Average Salary:

• Fashion Designer: Rs 1.5 Lakh - 8 Lakhs

• Interior Designer: Rs 1.4 Lakh - 7 Lakhs

• Graphic Designer: Rs 1.5 Lakh - 7.5 Lakhs

Discover Where Humanities Can Take You

Today, the humanities have emerged as a top career, offering a plethora of highest-paying jobs for humanities students in India. Whether you are interested in fields like journalism, hospitality, psychology or international relations, the humanities provide exciting opportunities tailored to fit your interests.

Start by developing the right skills, completing the required education and gaining relevant experience to build a successful and rewarding career in the humanities field.