Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$48,270
- 25th Percentile — Junior$60,900
- 50th Percentile — Median$78,760
- 75th Percentile — Senior$103,130
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$137,250
The top 10% of English Language Professors earn $137,250 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $48,270, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii (est.) | $138,849 | +55.0% |
| California | $134,950 | +50.6% |
| New York | $104,260 | +16.4% |
| Massachusetts | $103,940 | +16.0% |
| Oregon | $101,490 | +13.3% |
| New Hampshire | $99,470 | +11.0% |
| Delaware | $99,090 | +10.6% |
| Connecticut | $98,200 | +9.6% |
| Vermont | $95,840 | +7.0% |
| District of Columbia | $95,530 | +6.6% |
| Michigan | $94,670 | +5.7% |
| Maine | $93,890 | +4.8% |
| Maryland | $93,770 | +4.7% |
| Rhode Island | $92,970 | +3.8% |
| Wisconsin | $92,220 | +2.9% |
| New Jersey | $88,440 | -1.3% |
| Nebraska | $88,050 | -1.7% |
| Arizona | $87,830 | -2.0% |
| Pennsylvania | $87,040 | -2.8% |
| Minnesota | $86,950 | -2.9% |
| Texas | $86,400 | -3.5% |
| Idaho (est.) | $83,309 | -7.0% |
| Indiana | $82,520 | -7.9% |
| Virginia | $82,420 | -8.0% |
| New Mexico | $82,010 | -8.5% |
| Washington | $81,800 | -8.7% |
| Alaska | $81,200 | -9.4% |
| Nevada | $81,100 | -9.5% |
| Illinois | $80,140 | -10.5% |
| Missouri | $79,580 | -11.2% |
| Utah | $78,770 | -12.1% |
| Colorado | $78,420 | -12.5% |
| Iowa | $78,230 | -12.7% |
| Montana | $77,540 | -13.4% |
| South Carolina | $76,390 | -14.7% |
| Ohio | $74,050 | -17.3% |
| Louisiana | $72,690 | -18.9% |
| Kansas | $72,240 | -19.4% |
| Georgia | $71,890 | -19.7% |
| Tennessee | $70,650 | -21.1% |
| Kentucky | $70,580 | -21.2% |
| North Dakota | $70,400 | -21.4% |
| Wyoming | $69,610 | -22.3% |
| West Virginia | $69,180 | -22.8% |
| North Carolina | $68,270 | -23.8% |
| South Dakota | $65,870 | -26.5% |
| Alabama | $65,490 | -26.9% |
| Florida | $64,490 | -28.0% |
| Arkansas | $64,210 | -28.3% |
| Mississippi | $59,850 | -33.2% |
| Oklahoma | $59,080 | -34.0% |
What Factors Affect English Language Professors Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for English Language Professors is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: California pays an average of $134,950, while Oklahoma pays $59,080 — a gap of $75,870 per year.
The middle half of English Language Professors earn between $60,900 and $103,130 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $48,270, while the top 10% earn more than $137,250.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Elementary School Teachers $72,650/yr United States 18.9% vs this role
- Secondary School Teachers $76,320/yr United States 14.8% vs this role
- Middle School Teachers $72,030/yr United States 19.6% vs this role
- Kindergarten Teachers $69,370/yr United States 22.6% vs this role
- Preschool Teachers $43,030/yr United States 52.0% vs this role
- Special Education Teachers $79,750/yr United States 11.0% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +13.2% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +53.3% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for English Language Professors?
The average salary for English Language Professors in the United States is $89,580 per year, with a median of $78,760.
What is the starting salary for English Language Professors?
Entry-level English Language Professors typically earn between $48,270 and $60,900 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays English Language Professors the most?
California pays English Language Professors the most at $134,950 per year on average, followed by New York ($104,260) and Massachusetts ($103,940).
How much do English Language Professors make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $89,580, English Language Professors earn approximately $43.07 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is English Language Professors a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 57,720 English Language Professors jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $89,580 and a median of $78,760 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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