English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1123) earn a median $78,760 a year in the United States, with 57,720 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What english language and literature teachers, postsecondary do
English language and literature teachers teach English language and literature, including linguistics and comparative literature, at colleges and universities. Their lectures cover topics such as poetry, novel structure, and translation and adaptation, and some also teach writing or communication classes. They grade essays and papers, lead classroom discussions, plan syllabi, and assist students who need extra help with coursework outside of class. Research-oriented faculty publish scholarship. Foreign language teachers are classified separately, as are communications teachers. Titles include adjunct writing instructor, children's literature professor, and classics teacher, and ranks run from adjunct to professor. They also keep attendance and grade records and revise curricula and methods of instruction. The occupation takes in teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who combine it with research.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a doctoral degree.
Also called: Adjunct English Instructor, Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Professor, Adjunct Writing Instructor, Assistant Professor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 57,720 |
| Annual | $48,270 | $60,900 | $78,760 | $103,130 | $137,250 | $89,580 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where english language and literature teachers, postsecondary earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 5,460 | 0.30 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $62,360 | $95,900 | $130,490 | $167,640 | $216,190 | $134,950 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 230 | 0.33 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $63,750 | $80,270 | $98,650 | $104,920 | $135,440 | $99,470 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 940 | 0.56 | 1.50 |
| Annual | $60,240 | $73,600 | $97,310 | $106,090 | $131,520 | $98,200 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $63,970 | $79,580 | $97,100 | $117,950 | $124,580 | $99,090 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 960 | 0.49 | 1.32 |
| Annual | $52,060 | $70,470 | $91,870 | $116,340 | $162,800 | $101,490 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 6,110 | 0.63 | 1.70 |
| Annual | $52,220 | $66,260 | $84,850 | $122,980 | $173,580 | $104,260 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 5,460 | 0.30 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $62,360 | $95,900 | $130,490 | $167,640 | $216,190 | $134,950 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 4,310 | 0.31 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $46,840 | $61,190 | $78,900 | $102,500 | $130,870 | $86,400 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,900 | 0.80 | 2.14 |
| Annual | $62,050 | $70,720 | $83,980 | $118,120 | $175,580 | $103,940 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,570 | 0.42 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $37,270 | $51,090 | $77,570 | $102,600 | $125,520 | $80,140 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 610 | 0.26 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $84,920 | $124,450 | $165,090 | $216,390 | $279,730 | $167,930 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 480 | 0.28 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $78,250 | $103,950 | $160,050 | $218,760 | $250,700 | $161,950 | ||||
| Fresno, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 200 | 0.42 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $100,240 | $124,990 | $137,730 | $167,640 | $198,130 | $143,960 | ||||
| Ann Arbor, MI | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 350 | 1.61 | 4.34 |
| Annual | $66,820 | $86,470 | $137,400 | $137,400 | $138,870 | $117,620 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 500 | 0.33 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $62,160 | $79,410 | $132,500 | $171,840 | $227,140 | $137,240 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 5,320 | 0.56 | 1.51 |
| Annual | $49,920 | $66,100 | $96,430 | $127,450 | $199,470 | $107,730 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,150 | 0.34 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $61,430 | $79,720 | $128,810 | $158,440 | $208,310 | $126,060 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,110 | 0.78 | 2.10 |
| Annual | $63,260 | $77,220 | $87,020 | $125,860 | $175,600 | $108,530 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,850 | 0.41 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $50,390 | $78,620 | $102,620 | $128,590 | $80,340 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,220 | 0.42 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $49,400 | $66,320 | $83,500 | $117,790 | $127,900 | $91,680 | ||||
Top industries employing english language and literature teachers, postsecondary
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 62.8% of english language and literature teachers, postsecondary nationally (36,260 jobs) at a median $78,570 a year, followed by Junior Colleges (36.9%) and Technical and Trade Schools (0.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 36,260 | 62.8% | $78,570 | * |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 21,320 | 36.9% | $78,990 | * |
| Technical and Trade Schools NAICS 611500 | 70 | 0.1% | $59,840 | * |
| Educational Support Services NAICS 611700 | 40 | 0.1% | $127,120 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (57,720). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $75,930 for english language and literature teachers, postsecondary in May 2021 and $78,760 in May 2025, with employment of 58,480 and 57,720.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $75,930 | * | 58,480 |
| May 2022 | $74,280 | * | 57,680 |
| May 2023 | $78,130 | * | 57,600 |
| May 2024 | $78,270 | * | 59,590 |
| May 2025 | $78,760 | * | 57,720 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | * | $130,490 | $62,360 | $216,190 | 5,460 | 0.30 | 0.81 |
| 2 | New Hampshire profile | * | $98,650 | $63,750 | $135,440 | 230 | 0.33 | 0.89 |
| 3 | Connecticut profile | * | $97,310 | $60,240 | $131,520 | 940 | 0.56 | 1.50 |
| 4 | Delaware profile | * | $97,100 | $63,970 | $124,580 | ** | ** | ** |
| 5 | Oregon profile | * | $91,870 | $52,060 | $162,800 | 960 | 0.49 | 1.32 |
| 6 | Michigan profile | * | $90,240 | $50,770 | $137,400 | 1,730 | 0.39 | 1.06 |
| 7 | Vermont profile | * | $86,870 | $51,290 | $160,980 | 170 | 0.55 | 1.48 |
| 8 | Nevada profile | * | $85,830 | $54,920 | $102,540 | 280 | 0.18 | 0.48 |
| 9 | New York profile | * | $84,850 | $52,220 | $173,580 | 6,110 | 0.63 | 1.70 |
| 10 | Maine profile | * | $84,290 | $60,230 | $139,640 | 230 | 0.37 | 0.99 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | * | $84,200 | $56,640 | $127,160 | 920 | 0.31 | 0.84 |
| 12 | Massachusetts profile | * | $83,980 | $62,050 | $175,580 | 2,900 | 0.80 | 2.14 |
| 13 | Maryland profile | * | $83,760 | $46,130 | $135,130 | 830 | 0.30 | 0.81 |
| 14 | Alaska profile | * | $82,770 | $65,030 | $83,840 | 90 | 0.29 | 0.78 |
| 15 | District of Columbia profile | * | $82,300 | $62,590 | $138,270 | 410 | 0.58 | 1.56 |
| 16 | Wisconsin profile | * | $80,800 | $60,540 | $127,910 | 840 | 0.29 | 0.77 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $80,670 | $49,290 | $122,700 | 2,530 | 0.42 | 1.12 |
| 18 | Washington profile | * | $79,840 | $56,220 | $102,360 | 1,000 | 0.28 | 0.76 |
| 19 | Iowa profile | * | $79,720 | $48,960 | $102,530 | 510 | 0.33 | 0.89 |
| 20 | Rhode Island profile | * | $79,190 | $64,700 | $129,890 | 540 | 1.09 | 2.93 |
| 21 | Texas profile | * | $78,900 | $46,840 | $130,870 | 4,310 | 0.31 | 0.83 |
| 22 | New Jersey profile | * | $78,760 | $32,220 | $149,590 | 1,950 | 0.46 | 1.23 |
| 23 | Nebraska profile | * | $78,450 | $45,610 | $127,140 | 500 | 0.49 | 1.32 |
| 24 | Illinois profile | * | $77,570 | $37,270 | $125,520 | 2,570 | 0.42 | 1.13 |
| 25 | Arizona profile | * | $76,990 | $61,860 | $137,250 | 870 | 0.27 | 0.73 |
| 26 | Utah profile | * | $73,280 | $48,110 | $130,040 | 420 | 0.24 | 0.66 |
| 27 | Montana profile | * | $73,160 | $48,710 | $116,850 | 130 | 0.25 | 0.68 |
| 28 | Missouri profile | * | $73,070 | $47,310 | $111,020 | 1,040 | 0.35 | 0.95 |
| 29 | Colorado profile | * | $72,910 | $47,390 | $119,830 | 1,220 | 0.42 | 1.14 |
| 30 | Indiana profile | * | $69,180 | $47,790 | $132,830 | 1,000 | 0.31 | 0.84 |
| 31 | Virginia profile | * | $67,330 | $43,250 | $135,710 | 1,810 | 0.44 | 1.19 |
| 32 | New Mexico profile | * | $66,450 | $51,650 | $126,760 | 230 | 0.26 | 0.71 |
| 33 | Georgia profile | * | $65,530 | $41,530 | $105,510 | 1,140 | 0.23 | 0.63 |
| 34 | Ohio profile | * | $65,140 | $46,840 | $104,370 | 2,240 | 0.40 | 1.09 |
| 35 | Kentucky profile | * | $65,090 | $40,450 | $106,250 | 540 | 0.27 | 0.73 |
| 36 | South Carolina profile | * | $64,470 | $47,400 | $104,990 | 840 | 0.37 | 0.99 |
| 37 | Tennessee profile | * | $64,220 | $48,580 | $99,170 | 1,150 | 0.35 | 0.95 |
| 38 | North Dakota profile | * | $63,690 | $50,870 | $96,820 | 120 | 0.28 | 0.76 |
| 39 | North Carolina profile | * | $63,370 | $42,620 | $99,810 | 2,140 | 0.43 | 1.17 |
| 40 | West Virginia profile | * | $63,280 | $40,890 | $99,190 | 250 | 0.35 | 0.95 |
| 41 | South Dakota profile | * | $62,960 | $49,200 | $85,340 | 110 | 0.24 | 0.65 |
| 42 | Alabama profile | * | $62,910 | $46,450 | $92,140 | 1,040 | 0.49 | 1.32 |
| 43 | Kansas profile | * | $62,340 | $46,440 | $107,350 | 460 | 0.32 | 0.86 |
| 44 | Wyoming profile | * | $62,030 | $48,730 | $96,480 | 140 | 0.48 | 1.30 |
| 45 | Mississippi profile | * | $60,680 | $30,450 | $78,540 | 530 | 0.45 | 1.22 |
| 46 | Louisiana profile | * | $60,350 | $50,510 | $102,640 | 430 | 0.22 | 0.60 |
| 47 | Florida profile | * | $59,740 | $49,740 | $82,720 | 2,480 | 0.25 | 0.67 |
| 48 | Arkansas profile | * | $56,520 | $31,770 | $83,540 | 320 | 0.25 | 0.67 |
| 49 | Oklahoma profile | * | $53,200 | $30,930 | $83,040 | 500 | 0.29 | 0.79 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-1120), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 25-1123 English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them. A withheld or top-coded cell in that table shows the marker explained above.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-1123, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-1123.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.