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Education

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$79,350

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$49k – $136k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $85,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

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Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$64,100–$230,700

Time to qualify

6.3 yr

Renewal

$20/yr

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Master's degree

    Degree

    Typically two years; average graduate tuition ≈ $20,000/yr at public universities (NCES).

    $24,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

  3. 3

    State teaching certification

    License

    Approved educator-prep program, pedagogy & subject exams, background check, and a state application.

    $100–$700 · 3 months · varies by state · renews every 5 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

    Entry / Junior

    $49,060

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

    Established

    $79,350

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

    Senior

    $107,700

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.