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Language specialist salary
Average language specialist salary
$51,084
Average Salary for Language Specialists
The average salary for a Language Specialist is approximately $51,084 per year, translating to about $25 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry in which one works.
Where Can Language Specialists Earn More?
Language Specialists often find higher salaries in states like California, New York, and Texas, where demand for multilingual professionals is robust. Additionally, sectors such as healthcare and education tend to offer competitive pay, reflecting the specialized skills required for effective communication in these fields.
Career Opportunities and Growth
The role of a Language Specialist encompasses various responsibilities, from translation and interpretation to language instruction. As businesses and organizations increasingly recognize the importance of effective communication in a globalized world, opportunities in this field are expected to grow. Staying updated with industry trends and pursuing relevant certifications can further enhance earning potential and career advancement.
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Where can a Language Specialist earn more?
Language specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average language specialist salary by state
The average language specialist salary in New Hampshire, California, and Massachusetts are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average language specialist salary states are Mississippi, Kentucky, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for language specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $77,280 | $37.15 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $71,097 | $34.18 |
| 3 | Vermont | $65,096 | $31.30 |
| 4 | California | $72,938 | $35.07 |
| 5 | New York | $71,047 | $34.16 |
| 6 | Delaware | $57,755 | $27.77 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $63,413 | $30.49 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $57,657 | $27.72 |
| 9 | Washington | $60,742 | $29.20 |
| 10 | Maryland | $60,329 | $29.00 |
| 11 | Michigan | $58,781 | $28.26 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $68,446 | $32.91 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $65,010 | $31.25 |
| 14 | Nevada | $60,624 | $29.15 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $57,923 | $27.85 |
| 16 | Alaska | $62,489 | $30.04 |
| 17 | Florida | $50,155 | $24.11 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $66,641 | $32.04 |
| 19 | Montana | $50,968 | $24.50 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $49,714 | $23.90 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $51,785 | $24.90 |
| 22 | Maine | $52,025 | $25.01 |
| 23 | Idaho | $50,615 | $24.33 |
| 24 | Iowa | $46,695 | $22.45 |
| 25 | Virginia | $49,547 | $23.82 |
| 26 | Illinois | $47,455 | $22.81 |
| 27 | Oregon | $50,010 | $24.04 |
| 28 | Indiana | $48,877 | $23.50 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $46,894 | $22.55 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $51,734 | $24.87 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $47,729 | $22.95 |
| 32 | Kansas | $43,235 | $20.79 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $42,829 | $20.59 |
| 34 | Texas | $43,839 | $21.08 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $46,590 | $22.40 |
| 36 | Missouri | $45,820 | $22.03 |
| 37 | Arizona | $43,445 | $20.89 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $43,370 | $20.85 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $40,934 | $19.68 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $43,062 | $20.70 |
| 41 | Ohio | $43,711 | $21.01 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $35,127 | $16.89 |
| 43 | Utah | $44,410 | $21.35 |
| 44 | Colorado | $42,431 | $20.40 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $30,774 | $14.80 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $38,869 | $18.69 |
| 47 | Georgia | $40,708 | $19.57 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $38,909 | $18.71 |
| 49 | Alabama | $40,051 | $19.26 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $37,363 | $17.96 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $31,672 | $15.23 |
Highest paying cities for language specialists
The highest-paying cities for language specialists are Santa Rosa, CA, Boston, MA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $79,288 | $38.12 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $71,267 | $34.26 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $71,260 | $34.26 |
| 4 | Hackensack, NJ | $68,672 | $33.02 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $66,722 | $32.08 |
| 6 | Baltimore, MD | $61,044 | $29.35 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh, PA | $59,216 | $28.47 |
| 8 | Spokane, WA | $58,089 | $27.93 |
| 9 | Norwich, CT | $57,932 | $27.85 |
| 10 | Fort Wayne, IN | $50,470 | $24.26 |
| 11 | Weston, FL | $50,078 | $24.08 |
| 12 | Salem, OR | $50,067 | $24.07 |
| 13 | Baton Rouge, LA | $49,741 | $23.91 |
| 14 | Kingman, AZ | $46,493 | $22.35 |
| 15 | Springfield, IL | $46,351 | $22.28 |
| 16 | Springfield, MO | $45,230 | $21.75 |
| 17 | Lehi, UT | $44,384 | $21.34 |
| 18 | Austin, TX | $43,998 | $21.15 |
| 19 | Denver, CO | $42,383 | $20.38 |
| 20 | Asheville, NC | $41,738 | $20.07 |
Language specialist salary details
A language specialist's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $75,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a language specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $51,084 | $4,257 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying language specialist jobs
The highest paying types of language specialists are german instructor, russian language instructor, and languages and literature instructor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Teacher | $52,445 | $4,370 | $25.21 | 54,666 |
| ESL Instructor | $53,226 | $4,436 | $25.59 | 26,173 |
| Instructor Of Spanish | $54,930 | $4,578 | $26.41 | 25,516 |
| Foreign Language Instructor | $62,177 | $5,181 | $29.89 | 45,303 |
| Russian Language Instructor | $64,990 | $5,416 | $31.24 | 45,129 |
| English Language Teacher | $57,831 | $4,819 | $27.80 | 74,779 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for language specialists, 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 specialists now:
Which companies pay language specialists the most?
Language specialist salaries at Apple and PayPal are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average language specialist salary at companies like eBay and Uber Technologies are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $124,334 | $59.78 |
| 2 | PayPal | $119,233 | $57.32 |
| 3 | eBay | $106,787 | $51.34 |
| 4 | Uber Technologies | $97,272 | $46.77 |
| 5 | MSCI | $92,200 | $44.33 |
| 6 | Duolingo | $91,922 | $44.19 |
| 7 | Children's Hospital Los Angeles | $72,020 | $34.63 |
| 8 | International Rescue Committee | $71,278 | $34.27 |
| 9 | Boston Medical Center | $68,574 | $32.97 |
| 10 | HCL Technologies | $67,987 | $32.69 |
| 11 | Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | $67,553 | $32.48 |
| 12 | Lawndale Elementary School District | $64,280 | $30.90 |
| 13 | Santa Rosa City Schools | $60,837 | $29.25 |
| 14 | Missouri State University | $58,055 | $27.91 |
| 15 | The Norwich Free Academy | $56,799 | $27.31 |
| 16 | University of Notre Dame | $56,294 | $27.06 |
| 17 | Welocalize | $55,375 | $26.62 |
| 18 | Hackensack Meridian Health | $54,697 | $26.30 |
| 19 | Rocketship Education | $53,570 | $25.75 |
| 20 | Oregon Health & Science University | $53,123 | $25.54 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Language Specialist salary by industry
The average language specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average language specialist salary in the government industry is $56,330, the highest of any industry.
- The average language specialist salary in the finance industry is $51,465.
- Language specialists in the retail industry earn an average salary of $46,375, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for language specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $56,330 | $27.08 |
| 2 | Technology | $51,465 | $24.74 |
| 3 | Education | $49,574 | $23.83 |
| 4 | Retail | $46,375 | $22.30 |
High paying language specialist jobs
Language specialist salary trends
The average language specialist salary has risen by $7,518 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average language specialist earned $43,566 annually, but today, they earn $51,084 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for language specialists over the last decade.
Compare language specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average language specialist salary over time
Compare language specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Language specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,100 | $24.56 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | $51,100 | $24.58 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | $49,400 | $23.76 | +3.9% |
| 2022 | $47,500 | $22.83 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $46,400 | $22.30 | +3.3% |
Recently added language specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem-Keizer School District | Native Language Specialist-Arabic-Instructional Services | Salem, OR | 06/26/2025 | $51,111 |
| Oregon Public Schools | Native Language Specialist-Arabic-Instructional Services | Salem, OR | 06/26/2025 | $51,111 |
| Cleveland ISD | Dual Language Specialist (PK | Nome, TX | 06/20/2025 | $74,477 |
| Cleveland ISD (Tx | Language Specialist | Cleveland, TX | 06/17/2025 | $74,477 |
| Innodata | Language Specialist (English and Polish) | Huntsville, AL | 05/24/2025 | $54,000 |
| Salem-Keizer School District | Native Language Specialist-Arabic-Instructional Services | Salem, OR | 05/23/2025 | $51,111 |
| Oregon Public Schools | Native Language Specialist-Arabic-Instructional Services | Salem, OR | 05/23/2025 | $51,111 |
| South Washington County Schools Isd 833 | Native Language Revitalization Specialist | Cottage Grove, MN | 05/21/2025 | $65,456 |
| 4000 Archdiocese of Seattle Payroll Svc | Language Access Specialist | Seattle, WA | 05/09/2025 | $45,914 |
| Spring Lake Park School District 16 | K-4 English Language Academic Specialist-Woodcrest Spanish Immersion | Nore, MN | 05/03/2025 | $50,076 |
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