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Language instructor salary
Average language instructor salary
$57,946
Understanding the Salary of Language Instructors
As of October 2025, the average salary for a language instructor stands at $57,946 per year or around $28 per hour. This figure can vary based on several factors including geographical location, years of experience, and the type of institution. For instance, instructors in urban areas may command higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for language education.
Salary Variations by State
Some states offer significantly higher salaries for language instructors. For example, states like California and New York frequently report salaries above the national average, reflecting the robust job market and demand for language skills in diverse sectors. In addition, specialized language instructors, such as those teaching less common languages, may find even more lucrative positions.
Job Opportunities
Language instructors can find job openings in various settings including public schools, private institutions, and online platforms. The flexibility of teaching languages online has increased the number of opportunities available. As you consider this career path, focusing on acquiring specialized certifications can enhance your employability and salary potential.
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Where can a Language Instructor earn more?
Language instructor salary estimates from across the web
Average language instructor salary by state
The highest-paying states for language instructors are California, New York, and Vermont. The lowest average language instructor salary states are Idaho, Alabama, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for language instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $75,672 | $36.38 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $67,373 | $32.39 |
| 3 | Delaware | $66,755 | $32.09 |
| 4 | California | $88,688 | $42.64 |
| 5 | New York | $84,784 | $40.76 |
| 6 | Nevada | $60,745 | $29.20 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $69,381 | $33.36 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $63,801 | $30.67 |
| 9 | Michigan | $60,033 | $28.86 |
| 10 | Illinois | $64,324 | $30.93 |
| 11 | Alaska | $63,528 | $30.54 |
| 12 | Maine | $63,393 | $30.48 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $61,599 | $29.61 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $54,853 | $26.37 |
| 15 | Washington | $65,006 | $31.25 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $62,230 | $29.92 |
| 17 | Florida | $58,198 | $27.98 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $61,415 | $29.53 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $54,008 | $25.97 |
| 20 | Montana | $55,664 | $26.76 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $57,696 | $27.74 |
| 22 | Maryland | $58,975 | $28.35 |
| 23 | Colorado | $54,965 | $26.43 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $67,301 | $32.36 |
| 25 | Oregon | $56,063 | $26.95 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $56,554 | $27.19 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $53,829 | $25.88 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $52,922 | $25.44 |
| 29 | Virginia | $54,712 | $26.30 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $54,133 | $26.03 |
| 31 | Missouri | $54,723 | $26.31 |
| 32 | Ohio | $53,434 | $25.69 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $49,941 | $24.01 |
| 34 | Georgia | $52,949 | $25.46 |
| 35 | Iowa | $50,751 | $24.40 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $51,998 | $25.00 |
| 37 | Arizona | $49,884 | $23.98 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $47,834 | $23.00 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $50,444 | $24.25 |
| 40 | Kansas | $48,585 | $23.36 |
| 41 | Indiana | $50,892 | $24.47 |
| 42 | Utah | $52,179 | $25.09 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $50,029 | $24.05 |
| 44 | Idaho | $47,513 | $22.84 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $44,903 | $21.59 |
| 46 | Minnesota | $50,036 | $24.06 |
| 47 | Texas | $48,679 | $23.40 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $45,192 | $21.73 |
| 49 | Alabama | $46,241 | $22.23 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $42,173 | $20.28 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $43,778 | $21.05 |
Highest paying cities for language instructors
The highest-paying cities for language instructors are Monterey, CA, New York, NY, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterey, CA | $92,491 | $44.47 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $85,056 | $40.89 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $67,333 | $32.37 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $65,281 | $31.39 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $64,546 | $31.03 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $62,390 | $30.00 |
| 7 | Ann Arbor, MI | $59,609 | $28.66 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $59,545 | $28.63 |
| 9 | Missoula, MT | $57,323 | $27.56 |
| 10 | Eugene, OR | $56,417 | $27.12 |
| 11 | Arlington, VA | $56,355 | $27.09 |
| 12 | Highlands Ranch, CO | $55,048 | $26.47 |
| 13 | Athens, OH | $53,023 | $25.49 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $52,899 | $25.43 |
| 15 | Madison, WI | $51,485 | $24.75 |
| 16 | Clarksville, TN | $50,407 | $24.23 |
| 17 | Minneapolis, MN | $49,997 | $24.04 |
| 18 | Houston, TX | $48,869 | $23.49 |
Language instructor salary details
A language instructor's salary ranges from $40,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $82,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a language instructor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| 75th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
| Average | $57,946 | $4,829 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
| 10th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
Highest paying language instructor jobs
The highest paying types of language instructors are adjunct faculty, adjunct lecturer, and lecturer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer School Teacher | $52,828 | $4,402 | $25.40 | 86,467 |
| Adjunct Faculty | $83,069 | $6,922 | $39.94 | 26,791 |
| Student Teacher | $59,035 | $4,920 | $28.38 | 79,071 |
| French Teacher | $49,442 | $4,120 | $23.77 | 54,716 |
| Adjunct Lecturer | $79,657 | $6,638 | $38.30 | 26,546 |
| Social Studies Teacher | $49,725 | $4,144 | $23.91 | 94,087 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for language instructors, 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 language instructors now:
Which companies pay language instructors the most?
Language instructor salaries at Kern Community College District and City University of Seattle are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average language instructor salary at companies like The Bay School of San Francisco and New York University are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kern Community College District | $121,912 | $58.61 |
| 2 | City University of Seattle | $87,851 | $42.24 |
| 3 | The Bay School of San Francisco | $85,472 | $41.09 |
| 4 | New York University | $80,898 | $38.89 |
| 5 | Chapman University | $80,002 | $38.46 |
| 6 | Middlebury College | $78,175 | $37.58 |
| 7 | Edmonds Community College, Lynnwood | $76,135 | $36.60 |
| 8 | Swarthmore College | $75,049 | $36.08 |
| 9 | Chicago State University | $73,990 | $35.57 |
| 10 | San Jose State University | $73,012 | $35.10 |
| 11 | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company | $72,935 | $35.06 |
| 12 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | $72,826 | $35.01 |
| 13 | East Stroudsburg University | $72,603 | $34.91 |
| 14 | Harvard University | $70,293 | $33.79 |
| 15 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | $69,239 | $33.29 |
| 16 | PSEA | $68,959 | $33.15 |
| 17 | Horace Mann | $68,544 | $32.95 |
| 18 | Wittenberg University | $66,243 | $31.85 |
| 19 | Culver Academies | $65,769 | $31.62 |
| 20 | DePauw University | $64,622 | $31.07 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Language instructor salary trends
The average language instructor salary has risen by $8,528 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average language instructor earned $49,418 annually, but today, they earn $57,946 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for language instructors over the last decade.
Compare language instructor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average language instructor salary over time
Compare language instructor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Language instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $57,900 | $27.86 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | $58,000 | $27.89 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | $56,100 | $26.95 | +3.9% |
| 2022 | $53,900 | $25.90 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $52,600 | $25.30 | +3.3% |
Recently added language instructor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish Community Center of San Francisco | Hebrew Language Instructor | San Francisco, CA | 06/27/2025 | $108,524 |
| Johns Hopkins University | English Language Coordinator and Instructor | Washington, DC | 06/27/2025 | $65,000 |
| City University of Seattle | Washington Academy of Languages: World Language Instructors (Chinese, Japanese & French)-City Univ | Seattle, WA | 06/27/2025 | $83,480 |
| Athletes Global Corporation | American Sign Language Instructor | Tampa, FL | 06/27/2025 | $56,349 |
| Jccsf Careers | Hebrew Language Instructor | San Francisco, CA | 06/27/2025 | $108,524 |
| Yosemite Community College District | Instructor of American Sign Language (ASL)-Tenure Track-School of Language Arts and ED | Modesto, CA | 06/26/2025 | $82,359 |
| Caci | Chinese Language Instructor | Annapolis, MD | 06/22/2025 | $78,700 |
| South Portland School Department | English for Speakers of Other Languages (Esol) Instructor-Adult Education | South Portland, ME | 06/21/2025 | $62,610 |
| American Swedish Institute | Youth Language Instructor | Minneapolis, MN | 06/21/2025 | $73,128 |
| Yu Ming Charter School | ] K-4 English Language Development (ELD) Instructor | Oakland, CA | 06/21/2025 | $41,740 |
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