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Wine Steward/Sommelier

Types of Degrees Wine Steward/Sommelier Majors Are Earning

Those studying Wine Steward/Sommelier may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4
Associate’s Degree	3

What Wine Steward/Sommelier Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Wine Steward/Sommelier emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Wine Steward/Sommelier graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Wine Steward/Sommelier emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Sales and Marketing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Wine Steward/Sommelier program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Negotiation — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Wine Steward/Sommelier careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Wine Steward/Sommelier graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.8 / 7
Processing Information	3.7 / 7
Working with Computers	3.7 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.7 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.7 / 7
Monitoring and Controlling Resources	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Wine Steward/Sommelier professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Intuit QuickBooks	Accounting software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Oracle Taleo	Human resources software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Sourcing Simulator	Procurement software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Wine Steward/Sommelier graduates include:

• Contract Sourcing Specialist
• Exporter
• Purchasing Agent
• Acquisition Specialist
• Resident Buyer
• Grocery Buyer
• Fashion Buyer
• Sourcing Specialist
• Buyer
• Purchasing Buyer
• Merchandise Buyer
• Procurement Officer
• Sourcing Analyst
• Procurement Buyer
• Planner

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Wine Steward/Sommelier graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	24.5%
Bachelor’s degree	23.5%
Postsecondary certificate	15.3%
Less than a high school diploma	14.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	14.6%
Some college courses	6.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Wine Steward/Sommelier?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 71.4% of Wine Steward/Sommelier degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5	71.4%
Men	2	28.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Wine Steward/Sommelier graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2	28.6%
Asian	1	14.3%
Hispanic or Latino	1	14.3%
Black or African American	1	14.3%
Race Unknown	1	14.3%
International Students	1	14.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Wine Steward/Sommelier Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Wine Steward/Sommelier graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$24,617
4 years	$29,033
5 years	$32,264

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,264 — roughly 31% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Wine Steward/Sommelier Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Wine Steward/Sommelier graduates earn a median of $29,033 four years after completion — about 24% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Culinary Arts and Related Services	24,487
Culinary Arts/Chef Training	11,194
Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef	5,539
Culinary Arts and Related Services	4,165
Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager	1,343
Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant	1,052
Culinary Arts and Related Services, Other	333
Culinary Science/Culinology	301
Bartending/Bartender	237
Institutional Food Workers	181
Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager	75
Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter	60

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.