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Best states for a foreign language teacher
Quoted expert
Dr. Matt Tincani
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
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- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to foreign language teacher jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. As foreign language teachers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for foreign language teachers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a foreign language teacher, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
New Hampshire is the best state for jobs for foreign language teachers, and Utah is the worst. The most common pay in New Hampshire is $77,906, while the median pay in Utah is $38,845.We found that New Hampshire is the best state for foreign language teacher jobs, whereas Utah is the worst.
10 best states for foreign language teachers in 2026
1. New Hampshire
Total foreign language teacher jobs: 401 Average annual salary: $77,906 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 2.13
2. Vermont
Total foreign language teacher jobs: 152 Average annual salary: $67,512 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.84
3. Massachusetts
Total foreign language teacher jobs: 1,163 Average annual salary: $70,855 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
4. New Jersey
Total foreign language teacher jobs: 1,110 Average annual salary: $66,960 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
5. New York
Total foreign language teacher jobs: 1,381 Average annual salary: $74,052 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1
6. California
Total foreign language teacher jobs: 3,102 Average annual salary: $71,458 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
7. Michigan
Total foreign language teacher jobs: 913 Average annual salary: $59,038 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
8. Pennsylvania
Total foreign language teacher jobs: 1,089 Average annual salary: $64,645 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
9. Florida
Total foreign language teacher jobs: 2,129 Average annual salary: $58,161 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
10. Maryland
Total foreign language teacher jobs: 970 Average annual salary: $56,759 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.42
Foreign language teacher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a foreign language teacher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a foreign language teacher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $77,906 | $57,000 | 1,342,795 | 401 |
| 2 | Vermont | $67,512 | $49,000 | 623,657 | 152 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $70,855 | $52,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,163 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $66,960 | $48,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,110 |
| 5 | New York | $74,052 | $53,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,381 |
| 6 | California | $71,458 | $48,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,102 |
| 7 | Michigan | $59,038 | $41,000 | 9,962,311 | 913 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $64,645 | $46,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,089 |
| 9 | Florida | $58,161 | $44,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,129 |
| 10 | Maryland | $56,759 | $41,000 | 6,052,177 | 970 |
| 11 | Delaware | $56,220 | $40,000 | 961,939 | 170 |
| 12 | Alaska | $72,720 | $62,000 | 739,795 | 35 |
| 13 | Nevada | $54,334 | $37,000 | 2,998,039 | 224 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $56,654 | $41,000 | 3,588,184 | 357 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $60,702 | $45,000 | 755,393 | 57 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $65,716 | $47,000 | 693,972 | 144 |
| 17 | Washington | $56,523 | $39,000 | 7,405,743 | 755 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $57,182 | $41,000 | 1,059,639 | 96 |
| 19 | Oregon | $55,300 | $38,000 | 4,142,776 | 370 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $51,512 | $37,000 | 5,795,483 | 515 |
| 21 | Ohio | $52,104 | $37,000 | 11,658,609 | 851 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $52,172 | $38,000 | 4,684,333 | 292 |
| 23 | Maine | $54,271 | $40,000 | 1,335,907 | 79 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $50,628 | $36,000 | 5,576,606 | 659 |
| 25 | Indiana | $50,324 | $36,000 | 6,666,818 | 585 |
| 26 | Virginia | $49,873 | $36,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,114 |
| 27 | Illinois | $46,541 | $33,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,745 |
| 28 | Montana | $46,197 | $33,000 | 1,050,493 | 140 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $58,593 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 55 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $46,889 | $34,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,000 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $45,183 | $33,000 | 5,024,369 | 538 |
| 32 | Iowa | $45,759 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 358 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $45,038 | $33,000 | 1,920,076 | 230 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $47,428 | $35,000 | 6,715,984 | 459 |
| 35 | Texas | $44,521 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,214 |
| 36 | Missouri | $44,803 | $33,000 | 6,113,532 | 557 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $43,791 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 59 |
| 38 | Kansas | $41,644 | $30,000 | 2,913,123 | 369 |
| 39 | Idaho | $44,998 | $31,000 | 1,716,943 | 126 |
| 40 | Colorado | $39,399 | $29,000 | 5,607,154 | 858 |
| 41 | Georgia | $43,960 | $33,000 | 10,429,379 | 918 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $35,996 | $25,000 | 1,815,857 | 230 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $36,838 | $26,000 | 2,088,070 | 314 |
| 44 | Alabama | $42,202 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 269 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $41,104 | $30,000 | 869,666 | 57 |
| 46 | Arizona | $39,849 | $28,000 | 7,016,270 | 496 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $39,527 | $29,000 | 4,454,189 | 267 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $30,720 | $22,000 | 3,930,864 | 322 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $38,347 | $28,000 | 2,984,100 | 151 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $37,164 | $27,000 | 3,004,279 | 196 |
| 51 | Utah | $38,845 | $27,000 | 3,101,833 | 146 |
Highest paying states for foreign language teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. Foreign Language Teacher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $77,906 |
| 2 | Vermont | $67,512 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $70,855 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $66,960 |
| 5 | New York | $74,052 |
| 6 | California | $71,458 |
| 7 | Michigan | $59,038 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $64,645 |
| 9 | Florida | $58,161 |
| 10 | Maryland | $56,759 |
| 11 | Delaware | $56,220 |
| 12 | Alaska | $72,720 |
| 13 | Nevada | $54,334 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $56,654 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $60,702 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $65,716 |
| 17 | Washington | $56,523 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $57,182 |
| 19 | Oregon | $55,300 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $51,512 |
| 21 | Ohio | $52,104 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $52,172 |
| 23 | Maine | $54,271 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $50,628 |
| 25 | Indiana | $50,324 |
| 26 | Virginia | $49,873 |
| 27 | Illinois | $46,541 |
| 28 | Montana | $46,197 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $58,593 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $46,889 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $45,183 |
| 32 | Iowa | $45,759 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $45,038 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $47,428 |
| 35 | Texas | $44,521 |
| 36 | Missouri | $44,803 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $43,791 |
| 38 | Kansas | $41,644 |
| 39 | Idaho | $44,998 |
| 40 | Colorado | $39,399 |
| 41 | Georgia | $43,960 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $35,996 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $36,838 |
| 44 | Alabama | $42,202 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $41,104 |
| 46 | Arizona | $39,849 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $39,527 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $30,720 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $38,347 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $37,164 |
| 51 | Utah | $38,845 |
Expert opinions on the best states for foreign language teachers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for foreign language teachers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Matt Tincani
Professor and Chairperson, Temple University
There are notable education teacher shortages throughout the US. While there are generally more positions in states that have experienced significant population growth, particularly in the south and west, there are outstanding education teaching jobs just about everywhere. The most significant number of open positions can be found in major cities with chronic shortages of qualified teachers.
Foreign language teacher best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025