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English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeLower pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $78,760 Median per year Most earn $48,270–$137,250

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  • Schedule courses.

Job outlook

United States
About the same number of jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 4,500 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools67.1%
  • Junior colleges32.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 4 to 6 years

This is not an entry-level job. Most people need a doctoral degree and several years of teaching or research work first, so the full path usually takes well over a decade from the start of college. Many people spend about 4 to 6 years as adjunct or visiting instructors before landing a permanent teaching role.

  1. Bachelor's degree in English or Literature

    4 years

    You read widely, write analysis essays, and learn how literary theory works, which prepares you for graduate study.

  2. Ph.D. in English, Literature, or Linguistics

    5-7 years

    You take advanced seminars, teach your own undergraduate classes as a teaching assistant, and write a dissertation, which is the research base you need for faculty jobs.

  3. Adjunct Instructor or Visiting Assistant Professor

    4-6 years

    You teach courses on short-term or part-time contracts, publish articles, and build a record of teaching and research that hiring committees look for.

  4. English Professor (Postsecondary English Language and Literature Teacher)

    Career

    You teach English language and literature courses at a college or university, and many also spend time on research and publishing.

Where it can lead

  1. Associate Professor of English

    5-7 years as an assistant professor of experience first

    You earn tenure by showing strong teaching, a growing body of published research, and service to your department and school.

  2. Department Chair, English

    5-10 years as a tenured professor of experience first

    You manage the department's budget, courses, and hiring, and you represent English faculty in university decisions.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take advanced English classesAP or honors Literature and Language courses build the close reading and essay skills that college and graduate programs expect.
  • Join the school newspaper, literary magazine, or debate teamRegular writing and arguing with evidence help you practice the same skills professors use every day.
  • Tutor younger students in reading or writingExplaining ideas to others shows you whether you enjoy teaching, which is a big part of this job.
  • Enter a writing or essay contestCompetitions give you feedback from judges and something concrete to list on college applications.
  • Work a summer job at a library or bookstoreYou will learn how people find and discuss books, and you will build a reading habit that will serve you well later.

In college

  • Major in English or LinguisticsA focused major gives you the broad reading and theory background that graduate programs look for in applicants.
  • Work at the campus writing centerHelping other students improve their writing builds teaching experience and looks strong on graduate applications.
  • Work as a research assistant for a professorHelping with archives, literature reviews, or data gives you a taste of academic research and a letter of recommendation.
  • Present at an undergraduate research or humanities conferencePresenting your own work shows you can take part in scholarly conversation, which is a core part of faculty life.
  • Build relationships with professors and talk about graduate schoolOffice hours and advising appointments help you learn what Ph.D. programs want and find mentors who can write strong letters.

Tips for getting started

  • Your results are a starting point, not a final answer. Talk with English teachers and college professors about what their days look like, and ask whether they would choose this path again.
  • Plan early for funding. Most English Ph.D. programs offer funded teaching or research assistantships, so look for programs that cover tuition and a stipend rather than charging you.
  • Start building a writing and reading habit now. Keep a journal of books you have read and ideas you have about them, because you will need this kind of thinking in graduate school applications and seminars.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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