How much does a language professor make?
Answer: A typical language professor in the United States makes $79,350 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 20,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Language professor pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $49,060 | $79,350 | $136,050 | about 20,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $99,860 | about 2,000 |
| Massachusetts | $98,750 | about 960 |
| New York | $95,120 | about 2,000 |
| Oregon | $91,670 | about 510 |
| Michigan | $83,190 | about 500 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can vary with experience, advanced degrees, employer type, and location. Full-time versus part-time work matters too; colleges, universities, and professional schools generally pay more than community colleges.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a language professor do?
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.
What's a typical day like?
They teach language and culture, lead class discussions, and grade students’ writing or exams. They prepare course materials, help students during office hours, and may do research and publish it.
How to get this job
In the U.S., earn a bachelor’s degree, then usually a Ph.D. in your language or literature field; some community colleges may accept a master’s. Graduate students can gain teaching practice as teaching assistants.
Graduate degree or long training (preparation level 5 of 5)
Good for people who like helping and teaching and figuring things out.
Did you know?
Surprise: this U.S. job category includes college teachers of American Sign Language (ASL), even though the title says “foreign language.”
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Educational Instruction and Library jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes251124.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/25-1124.00
- www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY