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For Educators: Military Resources
For Educators: Military Resources

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Median Salary
78,760
Job Outlook
-8%

Overview

What are the responsibilities of this role?

Teach languages and literature courses in languages other than English. Includes teachers of American Sign Language (ASL). Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

What is the job outlook?

Overall employment of postsecondary teachers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations. About 118,900 openings for postsecondary teachers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Compensation

What is the typical salary range?

$49,420

10%

$78,760

Median

$104,770

90%

How does location impact how much salary?

Education

What level of education do professionals in this role have?

Education Level

  • Doctoral degree

    73%

  • Master's degree

    17%

  • Bachelor's degree

    8%

Which college majors best prepare you for this role?

  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
  • German Language and Literature
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Spanish Language and Literature
  • Foreign Language Teacher Education
  • French Language and Literature
  • Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature
  • Latin Language and Literature
  • Linguistics
  • Japanese Language and Literature
  • American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Russian Language and Literature
  • Italian Language and Literature
  • Applied Linguistics
  • Iranian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Arabic Language and Literature
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Spanish Language Teacher Education
  • Language Interpretation and Translation
  • French Language Teacher Education
  • Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Chinese Language and Literature
  • Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Scandinavian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Dutch/Flemish Language and Literature
  • Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Korean Language and Literature
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Portuguese Language and Literature
  • Hebrew Language and Literature
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • Vietnamese Language and Literature
  • History and Language/Literature
  • Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Linguistics and Anthropology
  • German Language Teacher Education
  • Linguistics of ASL and Other Sign Languages
  • Hawaiian Language and Literature
  • Filipino/Tagalog Language and Literature
  • South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • Polish Language and Literature
  • Latin Teacher Education
  • Sanskrit and Classical Indian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian Languages and Literatures
  • Swedish Language and Literature
  • Modern Greek Language and Literature
  • Hindi Language and Literature
  • Indonesian/Malay Languages and Literatures
  • Thai Language and Literature
  • Turkish Language and Literature
  • Norwegian Language and Literature
  • Economics and Foreign Language/Literature
  • Danish Language and Literature
  • Uralic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other

Skills and Interest

Which skill sets are the most valuable to possess?

Skills

  • Verbal Skills

    High

  • Leadership

    High

  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

    High

  • Math and Science Skills

    Mid

  • Technology Design and Control

    Mid

  • Equipment Operation and Maintenance

    Low

What knowledge should you bring to the table?

  • Foreign Language
  • Education and Training
  • English Language
  • History and Archeology
  • Philosophy and Theology

What challenges will you likely face in the workplace?

Workplace

  • Level Of Competition

    Mid

  • Exposure to Job Hazards

    Low

  • Time Pressure

    Low

  • Repetitiveness

    Low

  • Responsibility

    Low

  • Decision Making

    Low

  • Physical Activity

    Low

What personality traits help people thrive in this role?

Social

You love connecting with people, helping others and making a difference in your community.

Investigative

You love figuring out how things work and researching subjects that interest you.

RIASEC represents six broad interest areas—Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional—helping individuals identify careers that match their skills and preferences.

Take the RIASEC Test

Related Occupations

Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.