What can I do with a degree in Philosophy?

Many students express an interest in philosophy but are unsure whether it is practical to pursue a major in philosophy. There is no doubt that asking philosophical questions can lend richness and layerful meanings to a life. But there is no inconsistency between growing in these ways, which many people think to have intrinsic value, and developing the core skills needed to succeed in a broad range of careers or graduate options.

High Mid-Career Salaries for Philosophy Majors. For anyone wondering how practical the study of philosophy is, consider the fact that some studies (e.g., the one below from from Payscale.com) suggest that philosophy majors end up having higher mid-career salaries on average than most if not all other non-STEM majors. Philosophy pursue an extremely wide range of careers, where they do better, on average, than majors in business economics, marketing, political science, business administration, journalism, communication, and urban planning - to name a few. 

Philosophy is Good Preparation For Graduate Schools. One article by Andereas Teuber, Philosophy Students Score High on LSAT, GMAT, makes four key points (see quotations after points):

1. Philosophy Students Excel at Graduate Admissions Tests: "A recent comprehensive study of college students' scores on major tests used for admissions to graduate and professional schools shows that students majoring in Philosophy received scores substantially higher than the average on each of the tests studied."
2. Philosophy Majors Excel at the GRE (Grad Admissions Test), Both Verbal and Quantitative: "Philosophy majors' scores on the verbal portion of the GRE were higher than in any other major, even English ; and although several science majors showed higher averages in the quantitative portion of the test, philosophy majors scored substantially higher than all other humanities majors and were alone among humanities majors in scoring above the overall average."
3. Philosophy Students Excel at the LSAT (Law School Applications): "Philosophy majors received higher scores on the LSAT than students in all other humanities areas, higher scores than all social and natural science majors except economics and mathematics, and higher scores than all applied majors. 
4. In Many Cases, these Difference are Substantial: For example, "philosophy majors scored 10% better than political science majors on the LSAT. On the GMAT, philosophy majors outperformed business majors by a margin of 15%, and outperformed every other undergraduate major except mathematics."

For more useful information, please click on Career Paths.