Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary pay in the U.S.
$89,990avg. a year
Annual salary · 19,830 employed
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in the U.S. earn an average of $89,990 a year and a median of $79,350. Pay is highest in California ($116,230) and lowest in Oklahoma ($58,950).
$79,350Median pay
$89,990Average yearly
+12%Avg. pay since 2020
19,830Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
12,170 jobs
California
$116,230
a year
2960 jobs
Massachusetts
$109,700
a year
31,520 jobs
New York
$109,490
a year
4150 jobs
New Hampshire
$104,790
a year
570 jobs
Delaware
$103,300
a year
6510 jobs
Oregon
$99,990
a year
770 jobs
Maine
$98,500
a year
8280 jobs
Maryland
$94,620
a year
9340 jobs
Connecticut
$94,330
a year
1080 jobs
Montana
$89,410
a year
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $75k$75k–$82k$82k–$89k$89k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $158,240 | – |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $131,060 | – |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $125,830 | – |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $118,870 | – |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $116,450 | – |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $110,610 | – |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $106,960 | – |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $103,320 | – |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $72,140 | $70,580 | 110 |
| Alaska | $72,730 | $76,490 | 80 |
| Arizona | $79,280 | $71,230 | 360 |
| Arkansas | $68,500 | $62,900 | 120 |
| California | $116,230 | $99,860 | 2,170 |
| Colorado | $87,480 | $77,840 | 410 |
| Connecticut | $94,330 | $80,630 | 340 |
| Delaware | $103,300 | $101,100 | 70 |
| District of Columbia | $88,700 | $78,930 | 360 |
| Florida | $75,350 | $76,230 | 430 |
| Georgia | $78,340 | $73,370 | 280 |
| Illinois | $85,840 | $81,530 | 690 |
| Indiana | $82,240 | $74,590 | 660 |
| Iowa | $88,940 | $79,880 | 210 |
| Kansas | $74,980 | $65,890 | 140 |
| Kentucky | $72,830 | $65,630 | 180 |
| Louisiana | $79,280 | $75,410 | 130 |
| Maine | $98,500 | $96,970 | 70 |
| Maryland | $94,620 | $87,280 | 280 |
| Massachusetts | $109,700 | $98,750 | 960 |
| Michigan | $85,460 | $83,190 | 500 |
| Minnesota | $89,150 | $80,650 | 410 |
| Mississippi | $61,690 | $54,670 | 60 |
| Missouri | $86,550 | $76,110 | 330 |
| Montana | $89,410 | $79,970 | 80 |
| Nevada | $82,800 | $84,980 | 90 |
| New Hampshire | $104,790 | $101,750 | 150 |
| New Jersey | $87,900 | $79,060 | 850 |
| New Mexico | $81,140 | $71,720 | 60 |
| New York | $109,490 | $95,120 | 1,520 |
| North Carolina | $70,780 | $63,900 | 690 |
| North Dakota | $70,410 | $64,540 | 30 |
| Ohio | $72,870 | $74,310 | 960 |
| Oklahoma | $58,950 | $61,580 | 80 |
| Oregon | $99,990 | $91,670 | 510 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,320 | $77,210 | 1,060 |
| South Carolina | $79,780 | $77,790 | 320 |
| South Dakota | $79,090 | $81,080 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $77,160 | $76,350 | 310 |
| Texas | $81,220 | $75,090 | 1,460 |
| Utah | $78,600 | $78,570 | 180 |
| Virginia | $83,590 | $74,000 | 890 |
| Washington | $80,500 | $78,320 | 370 |
| West Virginia | $71,590 | $76,340 | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $83,800 | $78,490 | 450 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$110,610
1,460 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$106,960
800 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$90,280
650 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$116,450
630 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$90,940
500 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$85,640
490 jobsPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
$99,240
400 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$82,490
330 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary make?
The average is $89,990 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $79,350 and half earn less (the median).
Which state pays foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary the most?
California, with an average of $116,230 a year. The best-paying metro area is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA at $158,240.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $49,060 a year, and the top 10% earn over $136,050.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 25-1124. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.