SALARY DATA — SOC 25-1123
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
25-0000 Educational Instruction and Library Occupations
The 90/10 ratio for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary is 2.84× — the national median is $78,760 but top decile earns $137,250. The spread exists; it's concentrated in geography, specialization, and industry sector. Knowing which end of the band you're on is the whole negotiation.
BLS OEWS reference period: May 2025. Employment: 57,720.
Wage distribution — the receipts
National OEWS annual wage percentiles. "vs. median" column shows each percentile relative to the occupation's own national median — this is where your position in the band lives. Source and series IDs: methodology page.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs. median | Hourly (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th pct — bottom decile | $48,270 | -39% | ~$23 |
| 25th pct — lower quartile | $60,900 | -23% | ~$29 |
| Median — 50th pct | $78,760 | — | ~$38/hr |
| Mean — average | $89,580 | +14% | ~$43/hr |
| 75th pct — upper quartile | $103,130 | +31% | ~$50 |
| 90th pct — top decile | $137,250 | +74% | ~$66 |
Source: BLS OEWS national estimates. Annual wage ÷ 2,080 hrs = hourly estimate. Hourly-median is direct from OEWS when available; others are estimates only.
Pay by metro area
BLS publishes May 2025 wage estimates for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in 142 metro areas; the 10 with the most jobs are below, ranked by employment.
| Metro | Jobs | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 5,320 | $96,430 | $49,920 | $199,470 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,150 | $128,810 | $61,430 | $208,310 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,110 | $87,020 | $63,260 | $175,600 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,850 | $78,620 | $31,200 | $128,590 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,220 | $83,500 | $49,400 | $127,900 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,030 | $82,080 | $47,490 | $140,940 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 940 | $102,500 | $60,330 | $166,070 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 920 | $81,570 | $53,290 | $125,100 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 640 | $91,870 | $57,740 | $162,310 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 640 | $79,190 | $64,700 | $129,890 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — metropolitan area estimates (oesm25ma/MSA_M2025_dl.xlsx). Jobs are rounded to the nearest ten and exclude the self-employed; a dash means BLS suppressed that percentile.
Pay by industry
Across 4 detailed industries with a publishable estimate, the 4 that employ the most English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary are below, with the median wage each one pays.
| Industry | NAICS | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 611300 | 36,260 | $78,570 |
| Junior Colleges | 611200 | 21,320 | $78,990 |
| Technical and Trade Schools | 611500 | 70 | $59,840 |
| Educational Support Services | 611700 | 40 | $127,120 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — national 4-digit NAICS industry estimates (oesm25in4/nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx), all ownerships combined. Industries where BLS suppresses the wage are omitted rather than shown as zero.
What it pays vs. what it buys
The wage is only half the number. Below, the metro median for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary is divided by that metro's BEA Regional Price Parity — the federal measure of what a dollar actually buys there. Nominal is what the job pays. Real is what it buys at local prices. Which reorders the answer: Seattle ranks #19 of 48 on the paycheck and #30 once you spend it.
| Metro | Nominal | Prices | Real | Rank shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside | $160,050 | 101.3 | $158,049 | +1 |
| San Francisco | $165,090 | 106.2 | $155,474 | -1 |
| San Diego | $132,500 | 99.6 | $133,003 | — |
| Sacramento | $128,160 | 100.3 | $127,817 | +1 |
| Los Angeles | $128,810 | 113.6 | $113,423 | -1 |
| Houston | $102,500 | 95.6 | $107,248 | — |
| Portland | $91,870 | 100.1 | $91,768 | +1 |
| Las Vegas | $85,830 | 98.7 | $86,921 | +2 |
| Milwaukee | $85,180 | 99.4 | $85,736 | +2 |
| New York | $96,430 | 112.6 | $85,668 | -3 |
Top 10 of 48 metros by real wage. Rank shift = places gained or lost against the nominal ranking. Kansas City gains 10 places. Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan estimates; BEA Regional Price Parities (national = 100). Metros where BLS suppresses the estimate are omitted rather than shown as zero. Full data at /salaries-metro.json.
Is this job growing or dying?
BLS projects employment in English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary to move from 69,300 to 69,300 over 2025–2035 — 0% , with about 4,500 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted . Typical entry requirement: doctoral or professional degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (2025–2035). Openings count growth and replacement need together, which is why a shrinking occupation can still hire. Full data at /employment-projections.json.
Salary FAQ
- What is the median salary for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary?
- The median annual salary for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary is $78,760, and the mean is $89,580 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025).
- What is the salary range for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary?
- Most English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary earn between $48,270 and $137,250 a year. The wage gap inside the occupation is a 2.84× ratio — workers at the 90th percentile earn 2.84 times those at the 10th (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
- Where does pay for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary fall the most after adjusting for cost of living?
- Local prices reorder the ranking. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ranks #19 by nominal pay but #30 of 48 metros once local prices are applied (BEA Regional Price Parities).
- Is employment for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary growing or shrinking?
- BLS projects English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary employment to hold steady over the 2025–2035 window, with about 4,500 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).
- How many English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary jobs are there in the US?
- BLS counts about 57,720 workers in English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Figures from this page's OEWS / Employment Projections / BEA data, above. Methodology at /methodology#oews-salaries.
Related occupations
Other Educational Instruction and Library Occupations whose national median wage is closest to that of English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary: same SOC major group, nearest median first.
- Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary $78,620
- Communications Teachers, Postsecondary $78,580
- Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary $79,350
- Postsecondary Teachers, All Other $77,640
- Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary $79,940
- Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary $77,570
- Instructional Coordinators $77,440
- Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary $80,250
The national wage distribution and the metro and industry tables above are BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1123): percentiles from the OEWS API series, metro and industry rows from the published bulk tables — how they are fetched, what OEWS leaves out (equity, bonuses, benefits) and how the 90/10 ratio is read are documented at /methodology#oews-salaries and #oews-breakdown. The other sections keep their own sources and periods: the cost-adjusted metro table divides OEWS metro medians by BEA Regional Price Parities (/methodology#burnout-index); the outlook and its FAQ entry are BLS Employment Projections for 2025–2035.
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