25 Series · SOC 25-1124
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $79,350
- Median / year
- +3%
- 2024→2025
- $136,050
- Top 10% earn
- -0.2%
- Growth '24–'34
- 19,830
- Estimated US jobs
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $79,350 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $79,350, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $49,060 (10th percentile) to $136,050 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 19,830 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is New Hampshire ($101,750).
The pay verdict
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $79,350, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 72% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Educational Instruction and Library, it ranks #26 of 64 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 0.2% by 2034.
- $79,350
- Median annual wage
- Top 28%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #26 of 64
- in Educational Instruction and Library
- 2.8×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: New Hampshire at $101,750. Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary moved from $69,990 in May 2019 to $79,350 in May 2025 (+13.4%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary sits -11.1 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1124) has a national median of $79,350 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $49,060 to $136,050, and the published mean is $89,990. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 19,830 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 46 state or territory areas and 78 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $77,010 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $79,350 in May 2025, a rise of $2,340 (+3%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -0.2% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as declining relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 1,900 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Doctoral or professional degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Educational Instruction and Library Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. New Hampshire pays the highest state median at $101,750, which is +28% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA at $171,660. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$79,350
per year
Median Hourly
N/A
per hour
Mean Salary
$89,990
average
Employment
19,830
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$79,350 Top 28% higher than 72% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 (this entry) | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$79,350 · 72nd percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 25-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Teaching Assistants,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.5%, Median annual wage $36780
- Elementary School Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2%, Median annual wage $63970
- Secondary School Tea…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $72040
- Middle School Teache…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2%, Median annual wage $64370
- Substitute Teachers,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.6%, Median annual wage $41670
- Preschool Teachers, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $38140
- Self-Enrichment Teac…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $46800
- Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.8%, Median annual wage $65120
- Instructional Coordi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.3%, Median annual wage $77440
- Health Specialties T…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 17.3%, Median annual wage $107310
- Tutors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $43350
- Teaching Assistants,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.1%, Median annual wage $42910
- Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $74260
- Postsecondary Teache…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.8%, Median annual wage $77640
- Librarians and Media…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $68270
- Educational Instruct…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.5%, Median annual wage $50890
- Career/Technical Edu…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.7%, Median annual wage $63820
- Teachers and Instruc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.1%, Median annual wage $66140
- Career/Technical Edu…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.8%, Median annual wage $66270
- Kindergarten Teacher…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $62680
- Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.9%, Median annual wage $66810
- Art, Drama, and Musi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $78620
- Business Teachers, P…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.7%, Median annual wage $99080
- Nursing Instructors …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 16.8%, Median annual wage $80250
- Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.2%, Median annual wage $79350
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-0.2%
Declining
Annual Openings
1,900
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Educational Instruction and Library Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
0.3/100K
Injury Rate
0.8/100
Danger Index
3.4/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key 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.
- ▸ Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
- ▸ Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $61,380 |
| 2016 | $63,500 |
| 2017 | $65,010 |
| 2018 | $67,640 |
| 2019 | $69,990 |
| 2020 | $69,920 |
| 2021 | $77,030 |
| 2022 | $76,030 |
| 2023 | $78,760 |
| 2024 | $77,010 |
| 2025 | $79,350 |
2015 median
$61,380
2025 median
$79,350
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$9,360 (+13.4%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+2.1%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $61,380 | First banked release | 30,120 |
| May 2016 | $63,500 | +3.5% | 28,720 |
| May 2017 | $65,010 | +2.4% | 27,240 |
| May 2018 | $67,640 | +4.0% | 25,590 |
| May 2019 | $69,990 | Classification break | 24,860 |
| May 2020 | $69,920 | -0.1% | 22,790 |
| May 2021 | $77,030 | +10.2% | 19,640 |
| May 2022 | $76,030 | -1.3% | 19,520 |
| May 2023 | $78,760 | +3.6% | 20,820 |
| May 2024 | $77,010 | -2.2% | 21,170 |
| May 2025 | $79,350 | +3.0% | 19,830 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $61,380 in May 2015 to $79,350 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.1% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 24,860 in May 2019 to 19,830 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 46 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $101,750 | +28% above national |
| 2 | Delaware | $101,100 | +27% above national |
| 3 | California | $99,860 | +26% above national |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $98,750 | +24% above national |
| 5 | Maine | $96,970 | +22% above national |
| 6 | New York | $95,120 | +20% above national |
| 7 | Oregon | $91,670 | +16% above national |
| 8 | Maryland | $87,280 | +10% above national |
| 9 | Nevada | $84,980 | +7% above national |
| 10 | Michigan | $83,190 | +5% above national |
| 11 | Illinois | $81,530 | +3% above national |
| 12 | South Dakota | $81,080 | +2% above national |
| 13 | Puerto Rico | $81,050 | +2% above national |
| 14 | Minnesota | $80,650 | +2% above national |
| 15 | Connecticut | $80,630 | +2% above national |
| 16 | Montana | $79,970 | +1% above national |
| 17 | Iowa | $79,880 | +1% above national |
| 18 | New Jersey | $79,060 | same as national |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $78,930 | 1% below national |
| 20 | Utah | $78,570 | 1% below national |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $78,490 | 1% below national |
| 22 | Washington | $78,320 | 1% below national |
| 23 | Colorado | $77,840 | 2% below national |
| 24 | South Carolina | $77,790 | 2% below national |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $77,210 | 3% below national |
| 26 | Alaska | $76,490 | 4% below national |
| 27 | Tennessee | $76,350 | 4% below national |
| 28 | West Virginia | $76,340 | 4% below national |
| 29 | Florida | $76,230 | 4% below national |
| 30 | Missouri | $76,110 | 4% below national |
| 31 | Louisiana | $75,410 | 5% below national |
| 32 | Texas | $75,090 | 5% below national |
| 33 | Indiana | $74,590 | 6% below national |
| 34 | Ohio | $74,310 | 6% below national |
| 35 | Virginia | $74,000 | 7% below national |
| 36 | Georgia | $73,370 | 8% below national |
| 37 | New Mexico | $71,720 | 10% below national |
| 38 | Arizona | $71,230 | 10% below national |
| 39 | Alabama | $70,580 | 11% below national |
| 40 | Kansas | $65,890 | 17% below national |
| 41 | Kentucky | $65,630 | 17% below national |
| 42 | North Dakota | $64,540 | 19% below national |
| 43 | North Carolina | $63,900 | 19% below national |
| 44 | Arkansas | $62,900 | 21% below national |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $61,580 | 22% below national |
| 46 | Mississippi | $54,670 | 31% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 67 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $171,660 | +116% above national |
| 2 | Fresno, CA | $167,160 | +111% above national |
| 3 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $125,980 | +59% above national |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $115,040 | +45% above national |
| 5 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $106,050 | +34% above national |
| 6 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $103,190 | +30% above national |
| 7 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $99,410 | +25% above national |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $99,100 | +25% above national |
| 9 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $98,600 | +24% above national |
| 10 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $97,520 | +23% above national |
| 11 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $97,210 | +23% above national |
| 12 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $96,550 | +22% above national |
| 13 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $90,160 | +14% above national |
| 14 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $85,230 | +7% above national |
| 15 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $84,980 | +7% above national |
| 16 | Ann Arbor, MI | $84,000 | +6% above national |
| 17 | Worcester, MA | $83,490 | +5% above national |
| 18 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $83,310 | +5% above national |
| 19 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $83,190 | +5% above national |
| 20 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $82,890 | +4% above national |
| 21 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $81,050 | +2% above national |
| 22 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $81,030 | +2% above national |
| 23 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $80,940 | +2% above national |
| 24 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $80,450 | +1% above national |
| 25 | Harrisonburg, VA | $80,410 | +1% above national |
| 26 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $80,290 | +1% above national |
| 27 | Columbus, OH | $79,980 | +1% above national |
| 28 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $79,700 | same as national |
| 29 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $79,670 | same as national |
| 30 | Syracuse, NY | $79,560 | same as national |
| 31 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $79,510 | same as national |
| 32 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $79,440 | same as national |
| 33 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $79,200 | same as national |
| 34 | Knoxville, TN | $79,080 | same as national |
| 35 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $79,060 | same as national |
| 36 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $78,740 | 1% below national |
| 37 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $78,520 | 1% below national |
| 38 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $78,490 | 1% below national |
| 39 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $78,480 | 1% below national |
| 40 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $78,200 | 1% below national |
| 41 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $78,170 | 1% below national |
| 42 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $78,040 | 2% below national |
| 43 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $77,790 | 2% below national |
| 44 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $76,350 | 4% below national |
| 45 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $75,960 | 4% below national |
| 46 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $75,740 | 5% below national |
| 47 | Pittsburgh, PA | $75,710 | 5% below national |
| 48 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $75,390 | 5% below national |
| 49 | Rochester, NY | $75,360 | 5% below national |
| 50 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $73,860 | 7% below national |
| 51 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $73,480 | 7% below national |
| 52 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $71,950 | 9% below national |
| 53 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $71,230 | 10% below national |
| 54 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $70,610 | 11% below national |
| 55 | Richmond, VA | $68,660 | 13% below national |
| 56 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $67,630 | 15% below national |
| 57 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $67,530 | 15% below national |
| 58 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $66,890 | 16% below national |
| 59 | Springfield, MO | $66,340 | 16% below national |
| 60 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $64,490 | 19% below national |
| 61 | El Paso, TX | $64,100 | 19% below national |
| 62 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $63,940 | 19% below national |
| 63 | Cleveland, OH | $63,910 | 19% below national |
| 64 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $63,390 | 20% below national |
| 65 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $63,280 | 20% below national |
| 66 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $62,870 | 21% below national |
| 67 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $62,800 | 21% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 25 (Educational Instruction and Library Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
SOC 25-3011
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC 25-1041
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC 25-1061
Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC 25-1031
Archivists
SOC 25-4011
Showing 5 of 63 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Educational Instruction and Library Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($79,350 here) and reported employment (19,830 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary make? ▼
Where does Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary the most? ▼
What education do Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary? ▼
Is Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary a good career? ▼
How does Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $102,730/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: New Hampshire leads at $101,750/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.