English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

These educators teach college courses covering the English language, linguistics, literature, and comparative literature. On a daily basis, their work centers on training and teaching others, interpreting complex information, and coaching students. They must communicate regularly with university peers and supervisors, think creatively to design lessons, and organize their instructional plans.

Success in this role requires strong skills in reading comprehension, writing, speaking, and active listening. Instructors rely on their deep knowledge of the English language, education, communications, history, philosophy, and sociology. They must also be comfortable using computers for administrative tasks and course documentation. This career strongly appeals to individuals with social interests who enjoy helping others learn. To thrive, teachers need work styles characterized by intellectual curiosity, dependability, empathy, cooperation, and attention to detail.

Entering this career typically requires extensive academic preparation. The standard entry-level education is a doctoral or professional degree, though most individuals in this field need some form of graduate degree, such as a master's degree, PhD, MD, or JD.

Students preparing for this profession generally major in fields related to the humanities and language arts. Relevant college majors include English language and literature, rhetoric and composition, writing studies, literature, linguistics, and comparative language studies. Other preparation pathways include teacher education for specific subject areas, digital humanities, textual studies, and cultural studies.

In 2025, the median annual pay for postsecondary English language and literature teachers was $78,760. Salaries in this field span a wide range, with the lowest 10% of earners making less than $48,270 and the highest 10% earning more than $137,250.

There are 57,720 people employed in this occupation. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to show 0% change, meaning there will be little or no change in the total number of jobs. Despite this flat growth, about 4,500 job openings are still projected to occur each year.