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English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary: Job Description

Teach courses in English language and literature, including linguistics and comparative literature. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

What Tasks Do English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Take On?

Typical responsibilities of english language and literature teachers, postsecondary include:

  • Teach writing or communication classes.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  • Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as poetry, novel structure, and translation and adaptation.
  • Assist students who need extra help with their coursework outside of class.

Skills and Knowledge

Effective english language and literature teachers, postsecondary combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Reading Comprehension  4.8 / 5
0
5
Instructing  4.6 / 5
0
5
Writing  4.2 / 5
0
5
Speaking  4.1 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  4.0 / 5
0
5
Learning Strategies  4.0 / 5
0
5

Top Knowledge Areas

English Language  4.7 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  4.5 / 5
0
5
Communications and Media  4.1 / 5
0
5
History and Archeology  3.8 / 5
0
5
Philosophy and Theology  3.7 / 5
0
5
Sociology and Anthropology  3.7 / 5
0
5

Other English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Job Titles

People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:

  • Adjunct English Instructor
  • Adjunct Instructor
  • Adjunct Lecturer
  • Adjunct Professor
  • Adjunct Writing Instructor
  • Assistant Professor
  • Associate Professor
  • Children's Literature Professor

Job Outlook

There are about 1,114,182 english language and literature teachers, postsecondary working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +14.3% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Pay

Statistic Value
Annual median $88,437
Hourly median $42.52
10th percentile $58,180
25th percentile $73,309
75th percentile $103,565
90th percentile $118,694

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Salary by State

State Annual median salary
California $130,580
New Jersey $98,820
New York $96,940
Connecticut $87,570
Michigan $85,340
Vermont $83,350
Oregon $83,120
Maine $82,210
Massachusetts $82,030
New Hampshire $81,880
Texas $81,190
Minnesota $80,480
Maryland $80,060
Alaska $79,820
District of Columbia $79,360
Nevada $78,210
Wisconsin $77,480
Washington $77,010
Rhode Island $76,260
Illinois $76,120
Pennsylvania $74,960
Virginia $74,310
Indiana $73,630
Iowa $72,330
Nebraska $72,160
Arizona $68,370
Missouri $66,970
New Mexico $66,830
Idaho $65,840
Puerto Rico $65,710
Colorado $65,180
Delaware $64,690
Florida $64,580
Ohio $64,530
Wyoming $64,130
South Carolina $63,860
West Virginia $63,570
Georgia $63,200
Montana $63,000
Utah $62,780
Kansas $62,770
Kentucky $62,640
North Carolina $62,190
South Dakota $62,150
Arkansas $62,070
Alabama $61,990
Mississippi $61,920
Tennessee $61,820
North Dakota $61,820
Louisiana $57,850
Oklahoma $50,180
Hawaii $48,260

Where English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Earn the Most

Pay for english language and literature teachers, postsecondary vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Far Western US $112,257 12.5% 0.76
Middle Atlantic $90,165 20.3% 1.42
New England $82,334 8.9% 2.06
Southwest $76,107 10.9% 0.86
Great Lakes $75,590 12.7% 0.91
Plains States $71,049 5.8% 0.84
Other U.S. Territories $65,710 0.2% 0.36
Rocky Mountains $64,485 3.4% 0.86

Top Metro Areas

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA CA $168,240 450
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $142,150 730
El Paso, TX TX $139,410 170
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA CA $136,320 410
Visalia, CA CA $133,660 40
Fresno, CA CA $133,160 180
Ann Arbor, MI MI $132,830 350
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA CA $130,330 1,840

Which Industries Hire English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

The bulk of english language and literature teachers, postsecondary work in these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Educational Services 59,590 n/a

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Software English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary Use

  • Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
  • Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
  • Internet browser software: Apple Safari (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
  • Computer based training software: Learning management system LMS (in demand)

The Day-to-Day Environment

The on-the-job environment of english language and literature teachers, postsecondary reflects the following characteristics:

  • E-Mail
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  • Freedom to Make Decisions
  • Contact With Others

Education and Training

This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Similar Occupations

Where to Study

Aspiring english language and literature teachers, postsecondary often complete programs in:

English Language and Literature/Letters

13 programs across 4 majors

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

6 programs across 4 majors

Education

1 programs across 1 majors

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

1 programs across 1 majors

References

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 25-1123.00 (English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary).

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