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Foreign language teacher salary
Average foreign language teacher salary
$53,918
Average Foreign Language Teacher Salary
The average salary for a foreign language teacher is approximately $53,918 per year, translating to about $26 per hour. Factors such as location, years of experience, and educational background significantly impact earning potential. For instance, teachers in urban areas or those with advanced degrees often enjoy higher salaries.
Where Can a Foreign Language Teacher Earn More?
States like California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for foreign language teachers, with pay varying based on district funding and demand for foreign language education.
Salary Estimates from Across the Web
- According to industry reports, salaries for foreign language teachers can range from $40,000 to over $70,000 depending on various factors.
- Teachers with specialized certifications or bilingual skills may command higher salaries.
Understanding these dynamics can assist current and aspiring educators in making informed career decisions.
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Where can a Foreign Language Teacher earn more?
Foreign language teacher salary estimates from across the web
Average foreign language teacher salary by state
The average foreign language teacher salary in New Hampshire, New York, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average foreign language teacher salary states are Utah, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for foreign language teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $77,906 | $37.45 |
| 2 | Vermont | $67,512 | $32.46 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $70,855 | $34.06 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $66,960 | $32.19 |
| 5 | New York | $74,052 | $35.60 |
| 6 | California | $71,458 | $34.35 |
| 7 | Michigan | $59,038 | $28.38 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $64,645 | $31.08 |
| 9 | Florida | $58,161 | $27.96 |
| 10 | Maryland | $56,759 | $27.29 |
| 11 | Delaware | $56,220 | $27.03 |
| 12 | Alaska | $72,720 | $34.96 |
| 13 | Nevada | $54,334 | $26.12 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $56,654 | $27.24 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $60,702 | $29.18 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $65,716 | $31.59 |
| 17 | Washington | $56,523 | $27.17 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $57,182 | $27.49 |
| 19 | Oregon | $55,300 | $26.59 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $51,512 | $24.77 |
| 21 | Ohio | $52,104 | $25.05 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $52,172 | $25.08 |
| 23 | Maine | $54,271 | $26.09 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $50,628 | $24.34 |
| 25 | Indiana | $50,324 | $24.19 |
| 26 | Virginia | $49,873 | $23.98 |
| 27 | Illinois | $46,541 | $22.38 |
| 28 | Montana | $46,197 | $22.21 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $58,593 | $28.17 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $46,889 | $22.54 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $45,183 | $21.72 |
| 32 | Iowa | $45,759 | $22.00 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $45,038 | $21.65 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $47,428 | $22.80 |
| 35 | Texas | $44,521 | $21.40 |
| 36 | Missouri | $44,803 | $21.54 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $43,791 | $21.05 |
| 38 | Kansas | $41,644 | $20.02 |
| 39 | Idaho | $44,998 | $21.63 |
| 40 | Colorado | $39,399 | $18.94 |
| 41 | Georgia | $43,960 | $21.13 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $35,996 | $17.31 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $36,838 | $17.71 |
| 44 | Alabama | $42,202 | $20.29 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $41,104 | $19.76 |
| 46 | Arizona | $39,849 | $19.16 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $39,527 | $19.00 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $30,720 | $14.77 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $38,347 | $18.44 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $37,164 | $17.87 |
| 51 | Utah | $38,845 | $18.68 |
Highest paying cities for foreign language teachers
The highest-paying cities for foreign language teachers are Monterey, CA, New York, NY, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterey, CA | $76,152 | $36.61 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $74,141 | $35.64 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $70,968 | $34.12 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $65,690 | $31.58 |
| 5 | Philadelphia, PA | $65,598 | $31.54 |
| 6 | New Haven, CT | $56,734 | $27.28 |
| 7 | Bethesda, MD | $56,166 | $27.00 |
| 8 | Jacksonville, FL | $55,455 | $26.66 |
| 9 | New Orleans, LA | $53,027 | $25.49 |
| 10 | Brownsville, TX | $49,027 | $23.57 |
| 11 | Cincinnati, OH | $48,521 | $23.33 |
| 12 | Wilmette, IL | $46,917 | $22.56 |
| 13 | Savannah, GA | $45,664 | $21.95 |
| 14 | Omaha, NE | $45,323 | $21.79 |
| 15 | Kansas City, MO | $44,296 | $21.30 |
| 16 | Denver, CO | $39,416 | $18.95 |
| 17 | Little Rock, AR | $37,309 | $17.94 |
| 18 | Oklahoma City, OK | $30,705 | $14.76 |
Foreign language teacher salary details
A foreign language teacher's salary ranges from $38,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $74,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a foreign language teacher's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| Average | $53,918 | $4,493 | $26 |
| 25th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
Highest paying foreign language teacher jobs
The highest paying types of foreign language teachers are foreign language instructor, science teacher, and language instructor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instructor Of Spanish | $54,930 | $4,578 | $26.41 | 25,516 |
| Teacher-In-Training | $37,214 | $3,101 | $17.89 | 132,725 |
| Summer School Teacher | $52,828 | $4,402 | $25.40 | 86,467 |
| Teacher | $47,989 | $3,999 | $23.07 | 71,918 |
| Certified Teacher | $50,708 | $4,226 | $24.38 | 92,051 |
| Math Teacher | $51,088 | $4,257 | $24.56 | 59,347 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for foreign language teachers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Larry Herzberg Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Asian Languages, Director of Asian Studies, Calvin University
Suppose you only have a B.A. in Asia-related subjects. In that case, you will need to seek a job in the business world, in government work, or in gaining expertise in computers so that you can combine your knowledge of an East Asian language with a job that pays a decent salary.
Top companies hiring foreign language teachers now:
Which companies pay foreign language teachers the most?
Foreign language teacher salaries at Howard University and Holton-Arms School are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average foreign language teacher salary at companies like University of California, Berkeley and Tulane University are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Howard University | $99,467 | $47.82 |
| 2 | Holton-Arms School | $84,372 | $40.56 |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley | $84,324 | $40.54 |
| 4 | Tulane University | $80,217 | $38.57 |
| 5 | Boston Public Schools | $79,958 | $38.44 |
| 6 | Florida International University | $79,944 | $38.43 |
| 7 | University of Southern California | $78,091 | $37.54 |
| 8 | Dartmouth | $77,878 | $37.44 |
| 9 | Ethical Culture Fieldston School | $77,496 | $37.26 |
| 10 | Trinity Episcopal School | $77,206 | $37.12 |
| 11 | Florida State University | $76,420 | $36.74 |
| 12 | Princeton University | $76,401 | $36.73 |
| 13 | California Polytechnic State University | $76,208 | $36.64 |
| 14 | New York University | $75,249 | $36.18 |
| 15 | Harvard University | $74,875 | $36.00 |
| 16 | Brooklyn Waldorf School | $74,860 | $35.99 |
| 17 | Riverdale Country School | $74,610 | $35.87 |
| 18 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $74,558 | $35.85 |
| 19 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $74,518 | $35.83 |
| 20 | The Brearley School | $74,343 | $35.74 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Foreign language teacher salary trends
The average foreign language teacher salary has risen by $7,935 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average foreign language teacher earned $45,983 annually, but today, they earn $53,918 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for foreign language teachers over the last decade.
Compare foreign language teacher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average foreign language teacher salary over time
Compare foreign language teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Foreign language teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $53,900 | $25.92 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | $54,000 | $25.95 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $52,200 | $25.08 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $50,100 | $24.10 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $49,000 | $23.54 | +3.3% |
Recently added foreign language teacher salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashua School District | Foreign Language Teacher | Nashua, NH | 06/28/2025 | $44,200 |
| Greenfield Public Schools | Foreign Language Teacher at | Greenfield Town, MA | 06/26/2025 | $51,282 |
| Berkeley School District 87 | Substitute Foreign Language Spanish Teacher for Fmla Leave | Kane, IL | 06/21/2025 | $62,320 |
| Monroe County School District Fl | 51017 Teacher, Foreign Language | Key West, FL | 06/12/2025 | $62,100 |
| Educate Kansas | Teacher, Foreign Language (Spanish) | Augusta, KS | 06/06/2025 | $48,450 |
| University of Maryland Eastern Shore | Foreign Language Lecturers | Princess Anne, MD | 06/05/2025 | $38,268 |
| Jefferson County Public Schools | Teacher Foreign Language (Spanish)-Jeffersontown Elementary) Start Time AM | Kentucky | 05/21/2025 | $48,038 |
| Wilkes-Barre Area School District | Potential Foreign Language Teacher(S) (Permanent and Long Term Positions School Year | Wilkes-Barre, PA | 05/09/2025 | $50,615 |
| Nashua School District | Foreign Language Teacher-Spanish | New Hampshire | 05/08/2025 | $44,200 |
| Wayne County Schools Employment Network | Foreign Language Teacher | Bowne, MI | 05/05/2025 | $46,500 |
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