By Marnie Eisenstadt

There is a joke philosophy professors roll their eyes at: What do you do with a philosophy degree?

The punchline: Work at Starbucks.

But the philosophers are quietly having the last laugh. An analysis of average salaries by degree shows that by mid-career, graduates with degrees in philosophy can make a solid living: $84,000 after a decade in the workforce.

They aren’t making that kind of money pondering the afterlife or morality. It’s their background in critical thinking and creative problem solving that’s paying off and leading to jobs in the business world, said Lydia Frank, senior director of marketing and content at Payscale, the company that does the earning potential analysis.

“That really speaks to the fact that you can absolutely make a living with a liberal arts degree. You have to be creative with what you do out there,” Frank said. While not quite as high, English and history majors also do well after a decade in the work force. Read more…