Best cities for a language instructor
The best cities for language instructors are Oakland, CA, Bakersfield, CA, and San Francisco, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for language instructors vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for language instructors in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a language instructor or considering a move, this list of the best cities for language instructors to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for language instructors. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a language instructor. While the absolute best city for language instructors is Oakland, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for language instructors in 2024.
If you're looking for a language instructor job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for language instructors in 2026
1. Oakland, CA
Total language instructor jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $92,346 Lowest 10 percent warn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location quotient: 3.23 2. Bakersfield, CA
Total language instructor jobs: 21 Average annual salary: $90,542 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location quotient: 71.65 3. San Francisco, CA
Total language instructor jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $92,481 Lowest 10 percent warn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location quotient: 1.85 4. Fremont, CA
Total language instructor jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $92,253 Lowest 10 percent warn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location quotient: 2.30 5. Irvine, CA
Total language instructor jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $86,610 Lowest 10 percent warn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location quotient: 1.69 6. New York, NY
Total language instructor jobs: 23 Average annual salary: $85,056 Lowest 10 percent warn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location quotient: 1.08 7. Los Angeles, CA
Total language instructor jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $87,886 Lowest 10 percent warn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location quotient: 1.62 8. San Jose, CA
Total language instructor jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $92,256 Lowest 10 percent warn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location quotient: 0.00 9. Oyster Bay, NY
Total language instructor jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $85,616 Lowest 10 percent warn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location quotient: 0.00 10. Stockton, CA
Total language instructor jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $91,665 Lowest 10 percent warn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location quotient: 0.00
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Best cities for language instructors
- Oakland, CA
- Bakersfield, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Fremont, CA
- Irvine, CA
- New York, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Oyster Bay, NY
- Stockton, CA
- (2 language instructor jobs)
- (21 language instructor jobs)
- (12 language instructor jobs)
- (3 language instructor jobs)
- (3 language instructor jobs)
- (23 language instructor jobs)
- (9 language instructor jobs)
- (0 language instructor jobs)
- (0 language instructor jobs)
- (0 language instructor jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a language instructor
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakland, CA | $92,346 | $61,000 | 420,005 | 2 |
| 2 | Bakersfield, CA | $90,542 | $60,000 | 376,380 | 21 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $92,481 | $61,000 | 870,887 | 12 |
| 4 | Fremont, CA | $92,253 | $61,000 | 233,136 | 3 |
| 5 | Irvine, CA | $86,610 | $58,000 | 266,122 | 3 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $85,056 | $58,000 | 8,537,673 | 23 |
| 7 | Los Angeles, CA | $87,886 | $59,000 | 3,976,322 | 9 |
| 8 | San Jose, CA | $92,256 | $61,000 | 1,025,350 | - |
| 9 | Oyster Bay, NY | $85,616 | $58,000 | 293,214 | - |
| 10 | Stockton, CA | $91,665 | $60,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 11 | Hempstead, NY | $85,431 | $58,000 | 759,757 | - |
| 12 | Sacramento, CA | $91,453 | $60,000 | 495,234 | - |
| 13 | Brookhaven, NY | $86,220 | $59,000 | 486,040 | - |
| 14 | Fresno, CA | $91,110 | $60,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 15 | Long Beach, CA | $87,182 | $58,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 16 | Islip, NY | $85,932 | $59,000 | 335,543 | - |
| 17 | Anaheim, CA | $87,051 | $58,000 | 351,043 | - |
| 18 | Santa Ana, CA | $86,829 | $58,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 19 | Seattle, WA | $65,281 | $44,000 | 704,352 | 18 |
| 20 | Riverside, CA | $86,756 | $58,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 21 | San Diego, CA | $84,976 | $58,000 | 1,406,630 | - |
| 22 | Chula Vista, CA | $84,782 | $58,000 | 267,172 | - |
| 23 | Chicago, IL | $64,546 | $46,000 | 2,704,958 | 7 |
| 24 | Philadelphia, PA | $62,514 | $42,000 | 1,567,872 | 3 |
| 25 | Las Vegas, NV | $60,619 | $40,000 | 632,912 | - |
| 26 | North Las Vegas, NV | $60,483 | $40,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 27 | Henderson, NV | $60,471 | $40,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 28 | Buffalo, NY | $79,473 | $55,000 | 256,902 | - |
| 29 | Reno, NV | $62,242 | $41,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 30 | Detroit, MI | $60,409 | $42,000 | 672,795 | - |
| 31 | New Orleans, LA | $57,818 | $40,000 | 391,495 | - |
| 32 | Toledo, OH | $53,465 | $37,000 | 278,508 | - |
| 33 | Columbus, OH | $52,759 | $37,000 | 860,090 | - |
| 34 | Raleigh, NC | $53,742 | $37,000 | 458,880 | 2 |
| 35 | Madison, WI | $51,485 | $36,000 | 252,551 | 4 |
| 36 | Lexington, KY | $50,408 | $35,000 | 318,449 | 4 |
| 37 | Cleveland, OH | $55,134 | $38,000 | 385,809 | - |
| 38 | Anchorage, AK | $63,168 | $50,000 | 298,192 | - |
| 39 | Saint Petersburg, FL | $58,337 | $40,000 | 260,999 | - |
| 40 | Tampa, FL | $58,173 | $40,000 | 377,165 | 1 |
| 41 | Pittsburgh, PA | $55,872 | $38,000 | 303,625 | - |
| 42 | Louisville, KY | $49,950 | $35,000 | 597,337 | 4 |
| 43 | Boston, MA | $62,390 | $43,000 | 673,184 | 5 |
| 44 | Miami, FL | $59,378 | $41,000 | 453,579 | - |
| 45 | Kansas City, MO | $54,638 | $39,000 | 481,420 | 2 |
| 46 | Lincoln, NE | $54,178 | $39,000 | 280,364 | - |
| 47 | Hialeah, FL | $59,355 | $41,000 | 236,387 | - |
| 48 | Omaha, NE | $54,167 | $39,000 | 446,970 | - |
| 49 | Cincinnati, OH | $51,495 | $36,000 | 298,800 | - |
| 50 | Orlando, FL | $57,609 | $40,000 | 277,173 | - |
Highest paying cities for language instructors
| Rank | City | Avg. language instructor salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterey, CA | $92,491 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $85,056 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $67,333 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $65,281 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $64,546 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $62,390 |
| 7 | Ann Arbor, MI | $59,609 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $59,545 |
| 9 | Missoula, MT | $57,323 |
| 10 | Eugene, OR | $56,417 |
| 11 | Arlington, VA | $56,355 |
| 12 | Highlands Ranch, CO | $55,048 |
| 13 | Athens, OH | $53,023 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $52,899 |
| 15 | Madison, WI | $51,485 |
| 16 | Clarksville, TN | $50,407 |
| 17 | Minneapolis, MN | $49,997 |
| 18 | Houston, TX | $48,869 |
Language instructor best cities FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025