Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary: Job Description
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.
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What Do Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary include:
- 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.
What Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Need to Know
Effective foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Adjunct Instructor
- Adjunct Spanish Instructor
- Arabic Instructor
- Arabic Language Instructor
- Arabic Professor
- Arabic Teacher
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
Job Outlook
There are about 586,403 foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +7.3% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $39,815 |
| Hourly median | $19.14 |
| 10th percentile | $24,554 |
| 25th percentile | $32,184 |
| 75th percentile | $47,445 |
| 90th percentile | $55,076 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $106,430 |
| California | $106,330 |
| Massachusetts | $95,730 |
| New York | $94,280 |
| Rhode Island | $88,340 |
| Oregon | $83,870 |
| District of Columbia | $81,620 |
| Nevada | $81,550 |
| New Hampshire | $80,880 |
| Puerto Rico | $80,620 |
| Maryland | $79,860 |
| Michigan | $79,830 |
| Montana | $78,770 |
| New Jersey | $78,340 |
| Minnesota | $78,280 |
| Texas | $77,340 |
| Illinois | $77,100 |
| Iowa | $76,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,980 |
| Washington | $75,890 |
| New Mexico | $72,670 |
| South Carolina | $70,460 |
| Kentucky | $70,150 |
| Colorado | $68,610 |
| Arizona | $68,350 |
| South Dakota | $67,940 |
| Wisconsin | $67,320 |
| Indiana | $66,920 |
| Missouri | $66,450 |
| Alabama | $65,810 |
| Utah | $65,040 |
| Tennessee | $64,570 |
| Georgia | $64,420 |
| Arkansas | $63,460 |
| Virginia | $63,450 |
| Kansas | $63,230 |
| Florida | $63,160 |
| West Virginia | $63,090 |
| Delaware | $63,010 |
| Oklahoma | $61,520 |
| Ohio | $61,460 |
| North Carolina | $60,760 |
| Nebraska | $60,570 |
| Mississippi | $52,320 |
| Idaho | $50,520 |
| Alaska | $46,320 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $99,179 | 13.8% | 0.88 |
| New England | $88,308 | 9.0% | 2.12 |
| Middle Atlantic | $83,467 | 21.2% | 1.55 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $80,620 | 0.7% | 1.10 |
| Southwest | $75,228 | 10.4% | 0.85 |
| Plains States | $71,223 | 6.6% | 1.03 |
| Great Lakes | $70,087 | 14.9% | 1.10 |
| Rocky Mountains | $67,722 | 3.1% | 0.93 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $185,030 | 130 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $163,950 | 40 |
| Fresno, CA | CA | $161,600 | 60 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $126,660 | 300 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $124,610 | 190 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $121,250 | 110 |
| El Paso, TX | TX | $101,550 | 80 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $99,560 | 750 |
Top Industries Employing Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
The bulk of foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 21,090 | n/a |
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary work in the following industries:
Software Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Use
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Video conferencing software: Zoom (hot technology)
- Computer based training software: Learning management system LMS (in demand)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Public Speaking
Education and Training
The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
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Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary typically earn programs in:
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
80 programs across 18 majors
- Romance Languages
- Linguistics & Literature
- East Asian Languages
- Classical Languages & Literature
- American Sign Language
- Germanic Languages
- Other Foreign Language & Literature
- Middle Eastern Semitic Languages
- Slavic, Baltic & Albanian Languages
- Native American Languages
- Southeast Asian & Pacific Languages
- South Asian Languages
- Celtic Language & Literature
- African Languages
- Iranian & Persian Languages
- Greek Language & Literature
- Turkic & Central Asian Languages
- Armenian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Education
5 programs across 1 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
3 programs across 3 majors
- History and Language/Literature
- Linguistics and Anthropology
- Economics and Foreign Language/Literature
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 25-1124.00 (Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary).
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