Skip to content
AffordMap
Salary comparison

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary vs. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education: Who Earns More?

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondarys out-earn Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations by $15K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondarys land at $79,350 and Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations at $63,970. The education gap is real: foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary programs typically require bachelor's degree, while elementary school teachers, except special education programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondarys is New Hampshire ($101,750); for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations it's Washington ($102,350).

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Median salary
$79,350
$63,970
Hourly rate
$null/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$49,060
$47,960
Senior level (90th %)
$136,050
$104,340
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
19,830
1,388,390
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
1%
Category
Education
Education
Top-paying state
New Hampshire
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary median pay.

State
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Delaware
$101,100
$75,920
California
$99,860
$99,650
Massachusetts
$98,750
$94,000
New York
$95,120
$85,760
Oregon
$91,670
$77,130
Maryland
$87,280
$77,680
Illinois
$81,530
$75,320
Minnesota
$80,650
$76,350
Connecticut
$80,630
$80,600
New Jersey
$79,060
$78,200
District of Columbia
$78,930
$96,580
Washington
$78,320
$102,350
Pennsylvania
$77,210
$77,060
Alaska
$76,490
$79,260
Ohio
$74,310
$77,370

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondarys or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations?

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondarys earn more nationally. The median is $79,350 for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondarys versus $63,970 for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations, a difference of $15K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education?

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary typically requires bachelor's degree. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondarys get paid the most?

New Hampshire is the top-paying state for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondarys at $101,750/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary vs. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Delaware, Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondarys earn $101,100 vs. $75,920 for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary salary breakdownView →Full Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education salary breakdownView →Best cities for Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondarys by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations by take-home payExplore →How to become a foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondaryGuide →How to become a elementary school teachers, except special educationGuide →