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Instructor of spanish job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected instructor of spanish job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 159,400 new jobs for instructors of spanish are projected over the next decade.
Instructor of spanish salaries have increased 10% for instructors of spanish in the last 5 years.
There are over 10,241 instructors of spanish currently employed in the United States.
There are 25,516 active instructor of spanish job openings in the US.
The average instructor of spanish salary is $54,930.
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,241 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 11,883 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 12,963 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 13,343 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 14,204 | 0.00% |
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $54,930 | $26.41 | --0.1% |
| 2025 | $54,985 | $26.44 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $53,139 | $25.55 | +4.0% |
| 2023 | $51,073 | $24.55 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $49,887 | $23.98 | +3.5% |
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 504 | 9% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 45 | 8% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 583 | 7% |
| 4 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 354 | 7% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 69 | 7% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 66 | 7% |
| 7 | Alaska | 739,795 | 52 | 7% |
| 8 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 666 | 6% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 260 | 6% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 520 | 5% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 446 | 5% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 165 | 5% |
| 13 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 34 | 5% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 31 | 5% |
| 15 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,701 | 4% |
| 16 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 409 | 4% |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 298 | 4% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 130 | 4% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 48 | 4% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 42 | 4% |
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterey | 1 | 4% | $82,183 |
| 2 | Dover | 1 | 3% | $55,733 |
| 3 | Bowling Green | 1 | 2% | $47,894 |
| 4 | Boulder | 1 | 1% | $43,584 |
| 5 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $52,703 |
Ohio State University
Mercy College

Kent State University

University of North Carolina Asheville
University of La Verne
North Dakota State University

Rutgers University

Concordia College
Sarah-Grace Heller: For success, students need to be prepared to talk about their transferable skills: intercultural competency, the ability to listen, respect, and connect people from different cultural backgrounds, tolerance for ambiguity earned through the humbling process of learning a new language, the ability to manage in new places and cultures, an understanding of how languages break down into grammatical units and use patterns, observation and critical analysis skills, curiosity, etc.
Dr. Alan Hartman: There are many fields that students enter from the Spanish Major. Studying abroad is one of the most important first steps for undergraduates if possible. After that, being active culturally in the Hispanic world is key; attending museum exhibits, conference talks, and generally finding reasons to mix with people who are active in the field while also informing oneself of key topics and happenings. Once the student begins to do these things, the field opens before them and those inside are eager to welcome enthusiastic and active newcomers that have a proven record of activity.

Kent State University
Department of Modern & Classical Language Studies
Dr. Geoffrey Koby Ph.D.: All foreign language careers will be affected by Artificial Intelligence; foreign language teachers will have to be informed about AI and how to restrict its use—students can’t learn a language if they’re always getting the answers from AI. Translators and interpreters will have to be skilled in using AI and have foreign language skills that are stronger than AI so that they can correct its mistakes. And it will be necessary to keep pointing out the risk that unedited, unreviewed AI translations cause to any organization.

University of North Carolina Asheville
Department of Languages and Literatures
Regine Criser Ph.D.: Skills for remote/online instruction or for teaching that leverages technology will set a candidate apart. If you want to teach at a university, a Ph.D. will likely translate into a higher salary than an M.A. Having a versatile skill set beyond the ability to teach German - maybe teaching another language or discipline - would make someone even more marketable.
University of La Verne
Modern Languages Department
Dr. Ann Hills: A general trend, regardless of profession, is adaptability: as technologies evolve to meet the demands of the so-called "new normal," so too must the workforce. Job applicants will need to demonstrate the willingness and ability to navigate a pandemic and post-pandemic landscape by adapting to changes in the way tasks are carried out. It's likely that organizations will retain work practices and modalities that have proved to be efficient, safer, reduce costs, or are otherwise beneficial, so it would behoove candidates to add the necessary skills to their skill set, such as the ability to work remotely and utilize current technologies in a productive way.
Many of our language graduates intend to pursue a job in education, which has undergone a radical transformation (as anyone who is a teacher, a student, or shares a household with a student can attest), and it seems likely that the remote/hybrid learning models will continue long after the pandemic. Beyond a working knowledge of Zoom and good bandwidth, educators will need to demonstrate pedagogical flexibility, innovation, and creativity; the ability to engage students; and empathy towards students.
Another trend is the influence of the healthcare profession-the fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy well before Covid-19-on other professions. In recent years, I've observed many alignments and collaborations between language professionals and the public health sector. Foreign language proficiency and cross-cultural knowledge and sensitivity are invaluable assets across many positions in healthcare organizations, such as translators and interpreters, hospital language & culture specialists, and public health policymakers, to name just a few.
Dr. Ann Hills: Most jobs these days require a modicum of technical skills, including those oriented around language and culture. In addition to solid research, critical thinking, written and oral skills-part and parcel of a language, literature or linguistics major's expertise-candidates are now expected to demonstrate more technical skills, such as information and multimodal literacies.
For educators at all levels of instruction, the conversion of in-person classes to distance learning has made competence in different types of "Edtech" (education technology) essential. Proficiency with videoconferencing platforms, virtual learning environments, collaboration software, and other digital technologies is extremely advantageous (if not obligatory!). Another impressive skill is website design.
It continues to be important to highlight the "soft skills," such as adaptability, creativity, time management, collaborative decision making and effective communication.
Dr. Ann Hills: The coronavirus has had a devastating effect on many industries and, by extension, job options. Pre-pandemic, I would routinely suggest that language students consider positions in countries in which their language(s) of study are spoken. Many recent graduates teach English abroad right out of college, allowing them to earn money as well as cross-cultural and professional experience; current times have made such opportunities more challenging.
Nevertheless, I believe that graduates with degrees in languages and cultures have skill sets and knowledge that can be translated (pardon the pun) into many fields that continue to be in high demand-indeed, into some fields that are in even higher demand as a result of the pandemic, such as education, healthcare and community engagement. Students of language and culture tend to have a highly developed sense of understanding of, empathy for, and often experience communicating and working with, diverse populations; organizations and private sector employers are realizing that these are critical traits in today's global society and markets, as are concerns for inclusion and equity. In addition to positions that specifically require multilingualism, those that call for critical thinking, superior verbal and written communication skills, and linguistic sophistication should be a good fit for language majors as well.
There are many variables that make a job "good," of course: a livable wage, a reasonable work-life balance, a supportive and respectful environment, a rewarding work product... If you're not fortunate enough to attain your dream job right away-few people are!-take stock of your true passions and future career goals. Consider an entry level job in your desired field or an allied field: this allows you to bank valuable knowledge and experience in that area as you give it a "test drive." If you're interested in education but don't find an available teaching position, apply as a tutor, teaching assistant or substitute teacher. If your passion is literary translation, earn some practical experience working for a commercial translation company.
It's my hope that with determination, creativity and a strong work ethic, we can face the challenges occasioned by the pandemic and find new opportunities for productive collaborations.
Eric Ross: I think the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on 2021 graduates will be profound and long-lasting. The job market wasn't great even before COVID, and the overall economic damage caused by the pandemic has made things worse.

Rutgers University
Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Marcy Schwartz Ph.D.: We're going to see a shift in emphasis as some newer technologies have been taking off, and other job opportunities (such as tourism, travel, retail and hospitality) have retracted. Hopefully that retraction is temporary, and a gradual return to normal patterns in business, leisure, education, hotel and restaurant management, etc., will recover. Media work, marketing, tech support (in higher education, this is booming as we need more and more support for remote teaching and events), health professions, human resources, social services, and alternative energy sources and engineering seem to be strong.
Marcy Schwartz Ph.D.: This depends entirely on the industry and the type of work, but clearly the more digitally savvy, the better. World language skills are also key -- interpersonal skills are always valued and all areas of the work force need to prioritize hiring employees who speak languages other than English.
Marcy Schwartz Ph.D.: A good first job out of college should be a training ground in all kinds of professional and life skills. A job that requires multiple skills and tasks allows the candidate to be building professional skills in a broad way, for example, a position that requires marketing, grant writing, and customer relations keeps the candidate from being pigeon-holed in one industry or job sector. Make the most of every opportunity!

Concordia College
World Languages and Cultures
Dr. Alexander Aldrich Ph.D.: Research has found that, even prior to the pandemic, bilingual workers earned more take-home pay than their monolingual counterparts in the U.S. labor market. A tighter job market will only make prospective bilingual employees more competitive over monolingual applicants for the same job than before. In my opinion, a pandemic is a great time to study a world language!
Dr. Alexander Aldrich Ph.D.: We've seen how businesses have had to adapt to the upheaval presented by the pandemic. The skill of adaptability is one that I would certainly look for if I were a hiring manager. What other job candidates would exhibit this better than someone who has learned a world language and the culture of its people? Learning a new language and culture is the very essence of learning to adapt.
Dr. Alexander Aldrich Ph.D.: Recent market research done by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) found that the top business areas in greatest need of foreign language skills are customer service, sales, marketing, management, and IT. One in four businesses in the U.S. lost opportunities for growth because they didn't have the foreign language skills needed among their employees. Thus, focusing only on trades that require one to be bilingual (e.g., translation, interpretation, world language education) would be missing the mark. The data are telling: foreign language skills are needed everywhere in the U.S. today, and that need is only going to increase.