Careers / Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$79,350

United States, 2025

Employment

19,830

United States, 2025

Typical education

Doctoral Degree

Job Zone 5

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

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.

O*NET code
25-1124.00
Job zone
5
Experience required
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

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.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$49,060
10th
$62,510
25th
$79,350
Median
$102,730
75th
$136,050
90th

10th percentile

$49,060

25th percentile

$62,510

75th percentile

$102,730

90th percentile

$136,050

Most important skills

  • Speaking4.1
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Instructing4.0
  • Learning Strategies4.0
  • Active Learning3.9
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Monitoring3.6
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.5
  • Complex Problem Solving3.5
  • Social Perceptiveness3.3

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 14 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

14

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Speaking4.14.8Not selected4.8
Reading Comprehension4.04.9Not selected4.9
Writing4.04.8Not selected4.8
Active Listening4.04.6Not selected4.6
Instructing4.04.1Not selected4.1
Learning Strategies4.04.0Not selected4.0
Active Learning3.94.0Not selected4.0
Critical Thinking3.83.9Not selected3.9
Monitoring3.63.9Not selected3.9
Judgment and Decision Making3.53.8Not selected3.8
Complex Problem Solving3.53.6Not selected3.6
Social Perceptiveness3.33.6Not selected3.6
Time Management3.03.3Not selected3.3
Coordination3.03.0Not selected3.0

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Riverside, CA$171,6601302025
Fresno, CA$167,160702025
Sacramento, CA$125,9801302025
San Francisco, CA$115,0402402025
San Diego, CA$106,0502002025
Santa Maria, CA$103,190502025
NH$101,7501502025
DE$101,100702025
CA$99,8602,1702025
Amherst Town, MA$99,4102025
Boston, MA$99,1006302025
MA$98,7509602025
New York, NY$98,6001,4602025
Allentown, PA$97,520602025
Providence, RI$97,2101302025
ME$96,970702025
San Jose, CA$96,5501902025
NY$95,1201,5202025
OR$91,6705102025
Portland, OR$90,1604002025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.