Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,060 | Data unavailable |
| Median (50th percentile) | $79,350 | Data unavailable |
| Mean (average) | $89,990 | Data unavailable |
| 90th percentile | $136,050 | Data unavailable |
BLS publishes only annual wages for this occupation because workers are typically paid on an annual basis rather than hourly.
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 49 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $70,580 | $52,750 | $95,300 | 110 | 0.42 |
| Alaska | $76,490 | $47,300 | $79,990 | 80 | 1.96 |
| Arizona | $71,230 | $60,350 | $118,910 | 360 | 0.86 |
| Arkansas | $62,900 | $45,300 | $82,130 | 120 | 0.75 |
| California | $99,860 | $45,580 | $208,410 | 2,170 | 0.93 |
| Colorado | $77,840 | $51,780 | $128,910 | 410 | 1.12 |
| Connecticut | $80,630 | $61,610 | $127,900 | 340 | 1.56 |
| Delaware | $101,100 | $63,230 | $125,070 | 70 | 1.2 |
| District of Columbia | $78,930 | $63,170 | $120,200 | 360 | 3.97 |
| Florida | $76,230 | $48,550 | $98,810 | 430 | 0.34 |
| Georgia | $73,370 | $45,550 | $128,580 | 280 | 0.45 |
| Idaho | Data unavailable | 30 | 0.3 | ||
| Illinois | $81,530 | $48,920 | $127,070 | 690 | 0.89 |
| Indiana | $74,590 | $49,840 | $130,970 | 660 | 1.63 |
| Iowa | $79,880 | $62,470 | $153,640 | 210 | 1.07 |
| Kansas | $65,890 | $46,190 | $109,250 | 140 | 0.78 |
| Kentucky | $65,630 | $43,920 | $106,600 | 180 | 0.72 |
| Louisiana | $75,410 | $49,220 | $123,620 | 130 | 0.52 |
| Maine | $96,970 | $58,280 | $151,460 | 70 | 0.8 |
| Maryland | $87,280 | $51,920 | $131,060 | 280 | 0.78 |
| Massachusetts | $98,750 | $63,100 | $164,060 | 960 | 2.07 |
| Michigan | $83,190 | $51,320 | $131,640 | 500 | 0.88 |
| Minnesota | $80,650 | $59,820 | $133,440 | 410 | 1.09 |
| Mississippi | $54,670 | $45,380 | $80,860 | 60 | 0.38 |
| Missouri | $76,110 | $46,840 | $146,900 | 330 | 0.89 |
| Montana | $79,970 | $49,280 | $131,660 | 80 | 1.18 |
| Nevada | $84,980 | $64,710 | $107,630 | 90 | 0.43 |
| New Hampshire | $101,750 | $64,220 | $157,090 | 150 | 1.74 |
| New Jersey | $79,060 | $32,220 | $152,430 | 850 | 1.55 |
| New Mexico | $71,720 | $51,350 | $133,860 | 60 | 0.55 |
| New York | $95,120 | $59,290 | $208,840 | 1,520 | 1.23 |
| North Carolina | $63,900 | $46,670 | $105,310 | 690 | 1.1 |
| North Dakota | $64,540 | $42,480 | $94,350 | 30 | 0.58 |
| Ohio | $74,310 | $38,260 | $103,810 | 960 | 1.36 |
| Oklahoma | $61,580 | $34,640 | $79,940 | 80 | 0.37 |
| Oregon | $91,670 | $72,240 | $140,450 | 510 | 2.03 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,210 | $47,360 | $120,290 | 1,060 | 1.37 |
| Puerto Rico | $81,050 | $51,570 | $95,470 | 150 | 1.27 |
| Rhode Island | Data unavailable | 100 | 1.57 | ||
| South Carolina | $77,790 | $57,620 | $100,190 | 320 | 1.07 |
| South Dakota | $81,080 | $60,430 | $103,830 | 40 | 0.7 |
| Tennessee | $76,350 | $48,330 | $105,170 | 310 | 0.75 |
| Texas | $75,090 | $39,170 | $126,920 | 1,460 | 0.81 |
| Utah | $78,570 | $37,510 | $122,720 | 180 | 0.83 |
| Vermont | Data unavailable | 170 | 4.44 | ||
| Virginia | $74,000 | $49,290 | $131,190 | 890 | 1.7 |
| Washington | $78,320 | $51,380 | $105,390 | 370 | 0.81 |
| West Virginia | $76,340 | $50,310 | $90,810 | 40 | 0.46 |
| Wisconsin | $78,490 | $52,340 | $134,470 | 450 | 1.21 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 1,600. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.2%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Foreign Language Teacher Education CIP 13.1306
- French Language Teacher Education CIP 13.1325
- German Language Teacher Education CIP 13.1326
- Spanish Language Teacher Education CIP 13.1330
- Latin Teacher Education CIP 13.1333
- Foreign Languages and Literatures, General CIP 16.0101
- Linguistics CIP 16.0102
- Language Interpretation and Translation CIP 16.0103
- Applied Linguistics CIP 16.0105
- African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 16.0201
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General CIP 16.0300
- Chinese Language and Literature CIP 16.0301
- Japanese Language and Literature CIP 16.0302
- Korean Language and Literature CIP 16.0303
- Tibetan Language and Literature CIP 16.0304
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other CIP 16.0399
- Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General CIP 16.0400
- Baltic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 16.0401
- Russian Language and Literature CIP 16.0402
- Albanian Language and Literature CIP 16.0404
- Bulgarian Language and Literature CIP 16.0405
- Czech Language and Literature CIP 16.0406
- Polish Language and Literature CIP 16.0407
- Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian Languages and Literatures CIP 16.0408
- Slovak Language and Literature CIP 16.0409
- Ukrainian Language and Literature CIP 16.0410
- Slavic, Baltic, and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other CIP 16.0499
- Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General CIP 16.0500
- German Language and Literature CIP 16.0501
- Scandinavian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 16.0502
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as how to speak and write a foreign language and the cultural aspects of areas where a particular language is used.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in scholarly journals, books, or electronic media.
- Keep abreast of developments in their field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional organizations and activities.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Technology skills
- Learning management system LMS (in demand)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Zoom (hot technology)
- Adobe PageMaker
- American Sign Language ASL browser
- Audacity
- Blackboard Learn
- Blackboard software
- Collaborative editing software
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Time Management.
Common job titles: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Foreign Languages Professor, French Professor, German Professor, Instructor, Modern Languages Professor, Professor, Spanish Instructor, Spanish Professor.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary make?
The national median annual wage for foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary was $79,350 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $49,060 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $136,050. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary need?
BLS lists doctoral or professional degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary a growing career?
BLS projects employment of foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary to change +0.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 1,600 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New Hampshire ($101,750), Delaware ($101,100), California ($99,860). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.