Occupation overview

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for english language and literature teachers, postsecondary is $78,760, or — per hour. About 57,720 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $130,490 in California to $53,200 in Oklahoma.

Median annual

$78,760

Median hourly

—

Entry level (P10)

$48,270

Top 10% (P90)

$137,250

Employment

57,720

States covered

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile

$48,270

$60,900

$78,760

$103,130

$48,270$78,760$137,250

Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $78,760.

Salary by state

All 49 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#	State	Median annual	Median hourly	Employment	Location quotient
1	California	$130,490	—	5,460	0.81
2	New Hampshire	$98,650	—	230	0.89
3	Connecticut	$97,310	—	940	1.50
4	Delaware	$97,100	—	—	—
5	Oregon	$91,870	—	960	1.32
6	Michigan	$90,240	—	1,730	1.06
7	Vermont	$86,870	—	170	1.48
8	Nevada	$85,830	—	280	0.48
9	New York	$84,850	—	6,110	1.70
10	Maine	$84,290	—	230	0.99
11	Minnesota	$84,200	—	920	0.84
12	Massachusetts	$83,980	—	2,900	2.14
13	Maryland	$83,760	—	830	0.81
14	Alaska	$82,770	—	90	0.78
15	District of Columbia	$82,300	—	410	1.56
16	Wisconsin	$80,800	—	840	0.77
17	Pennsylvania	$80,670	—	2,530	1.12
18	Washington	$79,840	—	1,000	0.76
19	Iowa	$79,720	—	510	0.89
20	Rhode Island	$79,190	—	540	2.93
21	Texas	$78,900	—	4,310	0.83
22	New Jersey	$78,760	—	1,950	1.23
23	Nebraska	$78,450	—	500	1.32
24	Illinois	$77,570	—	2,570	1.13
25	Arizona	$76,990	—	870	0.73
26	Utah	$73,280	—	420	0.66
27	Montana	$73,160	—	130	0.68
28	Missouri	$73,070	—	1,040	0.95
29	Colorado	$72,910	—	1,220	1.14
30	Indiana	$69,180	—	1,000	0.84
31	Virginia	$67,330	—	1,810	1.19
32	New Mexico	$66,450	—	230	0.71
33	Georgia	$65,530	—	1,140	0.63
34	Ohio	$65,140	—	2,240	1.09
35	Kentucky	$65,090	—	540	0.73
36	South Carolina	$64,470	—	840	0.99
37	Tennessee	$64,220	—	1,150	0.95
38	North Dakota	$63,690	—	120	0.76
39	North Carolina	$63,370	—	2,140	1.17
40	West Virginia	$63,280	—	250	0.95
41	South Dakota	$62,960	—	110	0.65
42	Alabama	$62,910	—	1,040	1.32
43	Kansas	$62,340	—	460	0.86
44	Wyoming	$62,030	—	140	1.30
45	Mississippi	$60,680	—	530	1.22
46	Louisiana	$60,350	—	430	0.60
47	Florida	$59,740	—	2,480	0.67
48	Arkansas	$56,520	—	320	0.67
49	Oklahoma	$53,200	—	500	0.79

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970 Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370 Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670 Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140

Frequently asked questions

How much do english language and literature teachers, postsecondary make?

The median annual wage for english language and literature teachers, postsecondary in the United States is $78,760, or — per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $48,270, and the top 10% earn $137,250.

How many english language and literature teachers, postsecondary are employed in the U.S.?

About 57,720 people work as english language and literature teachers, postsecondary nationwide.

Which state pays english language and literature teachers, postsecondary the most?

California pays the most at a median of $130,490, followed by New Hampshire ($98,650) and Connecticut ($97,310).

Which state pays english language and literature teachers, postsecondary the least?

Oklahoma has the lowest median at $53,200.

Where are english language and literature teachers, postsecondary jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Rhode Island at 2.93×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes