Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
SOC 25-1124 • View wages by state
The median annual wage for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary is $78,760, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $88,490, and an estimated 20,820 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2020 and 2023, pay rose +12.6% while consumer prices rose 17.7% — a real change of -4.3% (pay did not keep up with inflation). BLS projects employment will shrink 0.2% between 2024 and 2034.
Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment
How the national median wage for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.
| Year | Median (nominal) | In 2023 $ (real) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $78,760 | $78,760 | 20,820 |
| 2022 | $76,030 | $79,160 | 19,520 |
| 2021 | $77,030 | $86,619 | 19,640 |
| 2020 | $69,920 | $82,318 | 22,790 |
Nominal change
+12.6%
Inflation (CPI)
+17.7%
Real change
-4.3%
Job Outlook (2024–2034 BLS projection)
The BLS Employment Projections program estimates how each occupation's employment will change over the coming decade, and how many job openings to expect each year (from both growth and the need to replace workers who leave).
Projected Growth
-0.2%
About average
Employment 2024
26,400
Projected 2034
26,400
Annual Openings
1,900
Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
Highest-Paying Areas (2023)
Where Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary earn the most, and how each area's median compares to the national median of $78,760. A positive premium means the area pays above the national rate.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $104,770 | +33% | 1,870 |
| Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | $102,790 | +30.5% | 50 |
| Connecticut | $101,600 | +29% | 360 |
| Oregon | $101,600 | +29% | 400 |
| New Jersey | $97,970 | +24.4% | 700 |
| Massachusetts | $96,200 | +22.1% | 1,110 |
| New York | $87,070 | +10.6% | 1,660 |
| Rhode Island | $85,920 | +9.1% | 100 |
| Vermont | $85,570 | +8.6% | 130 |
| Maine | $84,180 | +6.9% | 90 |
Wage Distribution (National, 2023)
10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.
10th Pct
$48,230
25th Pct
$61,530
Median
$78,760
75th Pct
$103,340
90th Pct
$136,260
H-1B Employer Filings
Employer-certified wages from DOL H-1B LCA filings — competitive market benchmark, not approved visas.
| Employer | State | Filings | Median Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| US ARMY DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER | CA | 7 | $112,605 |
| University of Michigan | MI | 5 | $58,948 |
| University of Oklahoma | OK | 3 | $48,750 |
| University of Illinois | IL | 3 | $76,000 |
| The Ohio State University | OH | 3 | $73,000 |
| The University of Virginia | VA | 3 | $80,000 |
| University of Connecticut | CT | 2 | $89,000 |
| University of Texas at Dallas | TX | 2 | $55,000 |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | CA | 2 | $87,780 |
| THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY | NJ | 2 | $80,307 |
| University of Pittsburgh | PA | 2 | $63,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA | FL | 2 | $60,996 |
| Yale University | CT | 2 | $86,000 |
| Brigham Young University | UT | 2 | $97,932 |
| Colorado Mesa University | CO | 2 | $56,500 |
| Northwestern University | IL | 2 | $57,000 |
| Loyola University Chicago | IL | 2 | $63,676 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | CA | 2 | $101,509 |
| United States Military Academy | NY | 2 | $110,000 |
| FORDHAM UNIVERSITY | NY | 2 | $71,751 |
Source: DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification, H-1B LCA data.
Related Occupations in Educational Instruction & Library
Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.