Postsecondary Teachers

How to become a Postsecondary Foreign Language and Literature Teacher

Official title: Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Also called: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Foreign Languages Professor, French Professor, German Professor, Instructor, Modern Languages Professor, Professor, Spanish Instructor, Spanish Professor

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.

Main tasks

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.
Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in scholarly journals, books, or electronic media.
Keep abreast of developments in their field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional organizations and activities.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.

How to become one

Educational requirements vary by subject and the type of educational institution. Typically, postsecondary teachers must have a Ph.D. However, a master's degree may be enough for some postsecondary teachers at community colleges, and others may need work experience in their field of expertise.

Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $79,350 a year The middle half earn $62,510 to $102,730.
About 24,600 people work in this job now, and about 24,700 are projected by 2035. (+0.2%)
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Postsecondary Foreign Language and Literature Teacher?

How much does a Postsecondary Foreign Language and Literature Teacher earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $79,350 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $62,510 to $102,730.

Is a Postsecondary Foreign Language and Literature Teacher a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 24,600 people now and 24,700 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Postsecondary Foreign Language and Literature Teacher?

Usually. 94% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Postsecondary Foreign Language and Literature Teacher?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.