Teaching English or French
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Types of Degrees Teaching English or French Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many teaching English or French graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 3,304 |
Graduate Certificate | 1,050 |
Doctor’s Degree | 35 |
What Teaching English or French Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to English or French and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for English or French Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Skills for English or French Majors
When studying English or French, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

- Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Abilities for English or French Majors
As a English or French major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
What Can You Do With a Teaching English or French Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with English or French:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 7.4% | $58,230 |
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | 8.0% | $55,470 |
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 7.5% | $58,600 |
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 7.5% | $60,320 |
Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Teaching English or French?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of English or French majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 142 |
Black or African American | 138 |
Hispanic or Latino | 552 |
White | 1,612 |
International Students | 554 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 306 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in English or French, too. About 16.8% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Japan
- Taiwan
How Much Do Teaching English or French Majors Make?
Master’s Degree Starting Salary
According to 2017-2018 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a master’s degree in English or French have a median salary of $53,500 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $42,700 (25th percentile) and $59,500 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to English or French.
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $58,370 to $62,200 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to English or French. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Teaching English or French
Some degrees associated with English or French may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to English or French have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Less than a High School Diploma | 0.3% |
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 1.6% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 0.3% |
Some College Courses | 0.7% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 2.4% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 64.6% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 12.3% |
Master’s Degree | 15.7% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 1.9% |
Doctoral Degree | 0.9% |
Online Teaching English or French Programs
In 2018-2019, 416 schools offered a English or French program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 58 | 9 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 21 | 4 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 2 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 7 | 1 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 173 | 48 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 58 | 9 |
Master’s Degree | 233 | 63 |
Post-Master’s | 52 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 8 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Teaching English or French Worth It?
The median salary for a English or French grad is $62,030 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 55% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $442,600 after 20 years!

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Majors Related to Teaching English or French
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to English or French.
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Educational Administration | 43,584 |
Teacher Education Grade Specific | 29,615 |
General Education | 23,737 |
Special Education | 20,510 |
Teacher Education Subject Specific | 20,147 |
Curriculum & Instruction | 18,738 |
Student Counseling | 13,672 |
Instructional Media Design | 6,790 |
Other Education | 3,071 |
Multilingual Education | 1,452 |
Educational Assessment | 968 |
Education Philosophy | 479 |
International Education | 354 |
Teaching Assistants | 6 |
References
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By G0h4r under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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