English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary vs Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary: Similar Median Pay, Different Work

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary vs Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary: what changes?

Consider English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary if you want to teach courses in English language and literature, including linguistics and comparative literature. Consider Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary if you would rather teach languages and literature courses in languages other than English. Both list doctoral or professional degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary and Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025): $78,760
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Teach writing or communication classes.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 4,500

Know before you choose

BLS projects essentially flat employment (0%) through 2035. Annual openings mostly reflect replacement, not a rapidly expanding field.

See the full English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary brief

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025): $79,350
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,600

Know before you choose

BLS projects essentially flat employment (0.2%) through 2035. Annual openings mostly reflect replacement, not a rapidly expanding field.

See the full Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary brief

How the national numbers differ

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary is at 4,500 annual openings, compared with 1,600 annual openings for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary.

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on projected growth

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary is at 0.2% projected growth, compared with 0% projected growth for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary.

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Compare actual offers, expected paid hours, schedule, and benefits before treating either career as the higher-paying option.

44.6/ 100

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

38.5/ 100

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary vs Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Dimension	English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
Median pay (2025)	$78,760	$79,350
Pay percentile	70.8 percentile	71.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	0%	0.2%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	4,500	1,600
2025 employment	69,300	24,600
How you qualify	Doctoral or professional degree	Doctoral or professional degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary brief Read Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary brief

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary vs Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

How the national numbers differ

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on projected growth

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary vs Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

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