Foreign Language Professor Salary in the United States

How much does a Foreign Language Professor make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Foreign Language Professor in the United States is $106,514 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $51.

However, a Foreign Language Professor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $135,547
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $91,796 to $121,711
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $78,396
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View as table View as graph 25% $91,796 10% $78,396 90% $135,547 75% $121,711 $106,514 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Foreign Language Professor Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $121,711 $10,143 $2,341 $59
Average $106,514 $8,876 $2,048 $51
25th Percentile $91,796 $7,650 $1,765 $44
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Key Factors That Influence Foreign Language Professor Salaries

A Foreign Language Professor's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Foreign Language Professor Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Foreign Language Professors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $117,932.
  • California: $117,485.
  • Massachusetts: $115,919.

Top Paying Cities for Foreign Language Professors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $134,346
  • San Francisco: $132,875
  • Oakland: $130,075

What Skills Can Increase a Foreign Language Professor's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Commitment (Mentioned in 8.53% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
  • Process Analysis (Mentioned in 1.39% Job Postings): Process analysis is a form of technical writing and expository writing "designed to convey to the reader how a change takes place through a series of stages". While the traditional process analysis and a set of instructions are both organized chronologically, the reader of a process analysis is typically interested in understanding the chronological components of a system that operates largely without the reader's direct actions (such as how the body digests an apple), while the reader of a set of instructions intends to use the instructions in order to accomplish a specific, limited task (such as how to bake an apple pie). By contrast, the reader of a mechanism description is more interested in an object in space (such as the form and nutritional value of a particular kind of apple).
  • Data Analysis (Mentioned in 0.99% Job Postings): Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a role in making decisions more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes, while business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation, focusing mainly on business information. In statistical applications, data analysis can be divided into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data while CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical models for predictive forecasting or classification, while text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All of the above are varieties of data analysis.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Commitment 8.53%
Process Analysis 1.39%
Data Analysis 0.99%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Foreign Language Professor's salary.
  • Technical Support: Can increase your salary by up to 31%.
  • Google Classroom: Can increase your salary by up to 24%.
  • Process Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 23%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Technical Support
$139,533
31%
Google Classroom
$132,077
24%
Process Analysis
$131,012
23%
Adult Education
$128,882
21%
Interviewing
$127,817
20%
Motivating
$119,296
12%
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How Education impacts a Foreign Language Professor's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Foreign Language Professors enter the field with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Foreign Language Professor with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent is between $106,013 and $130,033).

Foreign Language Professor Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Foreign Language Professor
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 8.3%
High School 45.8%
Associates 45.8%
Bachelors 8.3%
Masters 45.8%
Doctorate 45.8%
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Foreign Language Professor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Foreign Language Professor's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Foreign Language Professor

Salaries for a Foreign Language Professor can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $56,710 in 2023 to around $54,777 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Foreign Language Professor salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Foreign Language Professor Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$56,710
2024
$55,986
2025
$54,777
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $56,710
2024 $55,986
2025 $54,777
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Foreign Language Professor

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Foreign Language Professor

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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