How to hire a foreign language instructor

How to hire a foreign language instructor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step foreign language instructor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a foreign language instructor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new foreign language instructor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a foreign language instructor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the foreign language instructor you need to hire. Certain foreign language instructor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A foreign language instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, foreign language instructors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of foreign language instructors.

   Type of Foreign Language Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Foreign Language Instructor	Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and career and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.	$21-41
   Spanish Teacher	A Spanish teacher is responsible for teaching the Spanish language, including its history and culture, both written and conversational. Spanish teachers follow the curriculum, depending on the students' expertise level and evaluate their progress through oral and written assessments... Show more	$18-33
   Instructor, Adjunct Faculty	An adjunct faculty member works in a state university or college. They typically work on a part-time or contractual basis... Show more	$15-38

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Tagalog
   • Classroom Management
   • ILR
   • Language Learning
   • Language Teaching
   • Grammar
   • Syllabus
   • Language
   • Student Learning
   • Learning Styles
   • Serbian
   • Curriculum Development
   • Target Language
   • Thai

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Distribute marketing materials to community organizations and businesses and lead community outreach strategy on behalf of ESOL department regarding various programs/schedules/opportunities.
   • Design syllabus, class events, and study material to prepare students to succeed in the class.
   • Develop course syllabus, curriculum and teaching materials.
   • Develop an interactive and student centered Arabic language curriculum for teaching young learners basic Arabic communication, writing and reading skills.
   • Counsele students on language skills, study strategies and goals, and recommend supplementary educational material for self-study and exam preparation.
   • Distribute marketing materials to community organizations and businesses and lead community outreach strategy on behalf of ESOL department regarding various programs/schedules/opportunities.

   More foreign language instructor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your foreign language instructor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A foreign language instructor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, foreign language instructors' average salary in oklahoma is 55% less than in new hampshire.
   • Seniority. Entry-level foreign language instructors earn 49% less than senior-level foreign language instructors.
   • Certifications. A foreign language instructor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a foreign language instructor's salary.

   Average foreign language instructor salary

   $62,177yearly

   $29.89 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level foreign language instructor salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average foreign language instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$81,524	$39
   2	Massachusetts	$79,761	$38
   3	New York	$78,647	$38
   4	District of Columbia	$74,504	$36
   5	Maryland	$66,174	$32
   6	Connecticut	$63,588	$31
   7	Florida	$61,814	$30
   8	Pennsylvania	$59,473	$29
   9	Virginia	$59,230	$28
   10	Illinois	$58,875	$28
   11	Tennessee	$57,933	$28
   12	Ohio	$52,107	$25
   13	Georgia	$51,581	$25
   14	Hawaii	$47,212	$23

   Average foreign language instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Middlebury College	$79,814	$38.37	4
   2	Indiana University of Pennsylvania	$73,530	$35.35	5
   3	Saint Joseph's University	$68,166	$32.77	9
   4	*n/a*	$63,060	$30.32
   5	CIA Inc	$63,056	$30.32	1
   6	ICA Language Services	$62,535	$30.06
   7	Austin Peay State University	$62,307	$29.96	47
   8	Leidos	$61,852	$29.74	30
   9	ASA College	$61,624	$29.63
   10	Research Foundation of The City University of New York	$58,927	$28.33
   11	Language Stars	$54,302	$26.11
   12	Lakeview Academy	$52,990	$25.48
   13	The Town Of Greenwich, Ct	$51,980	$24.99

4. Writing a foreign language instructor job description

   A foreign language instructor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a foreign language instructor job description:

   Foreign language instructor job description example

   LEIDOS is looking for a full time Instructors for the following languages: Russian, , Chinese,
   
   * Customer has an immediate linguist requirement for foreign language instructors with the required teaching experience and adult learning methodology.
   
   * Customer requires the services of contract language instructors with native-like speaking skills in the foreign language to work 40 hours a week spending approximately 20 hours of teaching and 20 hours of lesson development, student assessment and testing.
   
   * The contract linguist instructor(s) shall have strong foreign language skills and will work under direction of experienced senior trained instructors.
   
   * Instructors will be expected to teach a proficiency course (0-2) to include, reading, writing and speaking, correct grammar, vocabulary, as well as proper punctuation.
   
   * It is also important that candidates are familiar with current events in the countries where the foreign languages are spoken.
   
   * Once on the program, contract linguist instructors are required to receive specific sponsor training focusing on foreign language teaching and foreign language testing in order to become certified according to Sponsor standards.
   Language Testing Requirements
   
   * All candidates will be required to take and pass the foreign language test administered by LEIDOS accepted commercial testing vendors (3 hours standard translation test).
   
   Security Clearance Requirements
   
   * Leidos will sponsor the security clearance that is required for this program.
   * No clearance is required to apply to the job.
   * After passing the required tests, we will sponsor and upgrade your security clearance.
   
   Required Qualifications
   
   * BA/BS in education, foreign language, linguistics and/or 2-14 years of related work experience
   * BA in other majors with the required language teaching experience will also be considered
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   *
   * No clearance is required to apply to the job.
   * After passing the required tests, we will sponsor and upgrade your security clearance.
   * An active security clearance is preferred.
   
   Pay Range:
   
   Pay Range - -
   
   The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
   
   Covid Guidance for the US
   
   In order to enter Leidos facilities in the U.S. and to attend Leidos events outside our facilities, employees are required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or maintain proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 96 hours of entry. In addition, we are receiving guidance from certain customers that onsite contractor personnel will need to be fully vaccinated to access customer facilities. If you are not vaccinated, please consider getting your COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please contact your Talent Acquisition POC.
   
   About Leidos
   
   Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company's 44,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $13.7 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.
   
   Pay and Benefits
   
   Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available here.
   
   Securing Your Data
   
   Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos' name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system - never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at [email protected].
   
   If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
   
   Commitment to Diversity
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find foreign language instructors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your foreign language instructor job on Zippia to find and attract quality foreign language instructor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with foreign language instructor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new foreign language instructor

   Once you've decided on a perfect foreign language instructor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new foreign language instructor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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