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English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Also called: English Instructor, English Professor, Instructor, Professor

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.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$78,760
Openings a year BLS, 2025–354,500
Typical education to start BLSDoctoral or professional degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Very high
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +0.0%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 26 of its 33 tasks, and jobs are projected to hold steady to 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 2.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers”
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 100% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 72% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$53k$130knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$62,910$54,730 to $75,4501,040
Alaska$82,770$81,060 to $83,01090
Arizona$76,990$71,250 to $100,220870
Arkansas$56,520$47,550 to $76,410320
California$130,490$95,900 to $167,6405,460
Colorado$72,910$59,540 to $86,8001,220
Connecticut$97,310$73,600 to $106,090940
Delaware$97,100$79,580 to $117,950not published
District of Columbia$82,300$64,640 to $101,620410
Florida$59,740$58,010 to $65,4602,480
Georgia$65,530$54,340 to $80,4901,140
Illinois$77,570$51,090 to $102,6002,570
Indiana$69,180$57,770 to $93,4901,000
Iowa$79,720$58,860 to $93,410510
Kansas$62,340$49,490 to $83,490460
Kentucky$65,090$50,950 to $82,540540
Louisiana$60,350$55,890 to $81,840430
Maine$84,290$61,450 to $128,370230
Maryland$83,760$66,590 to $104,760830
Massachusetts$83,980$70,720 to $118,1202,900
Michigan$90,240$64,910 to $127,5401,730
Minnesota$84,200$76,150 to $98,340920
Mississippi$60,680$47,170 to $73,940530
Missouri$73,070$59,650 to $94,7901,040
Montana$73,160$60,600 to $83,480130
Nebraska$78,450$59,470 to $98,220500
Nevada$85,830$62,740 to $86,310280
New Hampshire$98,650$80,270 to $104,920230
New Jersey$78,760$49,670 to $104,1101,950
New Mexico$66,450$60,220 to $83,940230
New York$84,850$66,260 to $122,9806,110
North Carolina$63,370$51,160 to $78,5902,140
North Dakota$63,690$60,140 to $77,920120
Ohio$65,140$56,980 to $93,6002,240
Oklahoma$53,200$41,950 to $68,340500
Oregon$91,870$70,470 to $116,340960
Pennsylvania$80,670$63,200 to $102,8402,530
Puerto Rico$73,490$66,980 to $88,200130
Rhode Island$79,190$79,190 to $102,290540
South Carolina$64,470$59,030 to $82,990840
South Dakota$62,960$57,400 to $77,820110
Tennessee$64,220$59,070 to $78,8501,150
Texas$78,900$61,190 to $102,5004,310
Utah$73,280$59,510 to $98,900420
Vermont$86,870$65,400 to $106,780170
Virginia$67,330$54,480 to $98,0701,810
Washington$79,840$66,820 to $98,7001,000
West Virginia$63,280$51,080 to $79,350250
Wisconsin$80,800$66,330 to $101,350840
Wyoming$62,030$61,890 to $76,910140

Nationally: $78,760. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 26 of its 33 tasks

13 · AI alone could halve the time 13 · AI + software built on it could 7 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI + software Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers. Not published
AI alone Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts. Not published
Not much Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions. Not published
AI + software Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. Not published
AI + software Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction. Not published
Not much Teach writing or communication classes. under 0.01%
See all 33 tasks
AI alone Assist students who need extra help with their coursework outside of class. Not published
AI alone Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. Not published
AI + software Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students. Not published
AI + software Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others. Not published
AI + software Write letters of recommendation for students. Not published
AI + software Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues. Not published
AI + software Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues. Not published
AI + software Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks. Not published
Not much Participate in campus and community events. Not published
AI alone Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as poetry, novel structure, and translation and adaptation. Not published
AI alone Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media. Not published
AI alone Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments. Not published
AI + software Teach classes using online technology. Not published
Not much Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues. Not published
AI alone Schedule courses. under 0.01%
Not much Participate in cultural and literary activities, such as traveling abroad and attending performing arts events. Not published
AI + software Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities. Not published
Not much Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work. Not published
Not much Recruit, train, and supervise department personnel, such as faculty and student writing instructors. Not published
AI + software Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head. Not published
AI alone Write grant proposals to procure external research funding. Not published
AI alone Review manuscripts for publication in professional journals. 0.01%
AI alone Act as advisers to student organizations. Not published
AI alone Write original literary pieces. 0.06%
AI + software Conduct staff performance evaluations. Not published
AI alone Provide assistance to students in college writing centers. Not published
AI alone Provide professional consulting services to government or industry. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 4 of the 33 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 33 tasks fall under 26 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up26 of 33 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most9 of 26 activities
  • #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
  • #9 Edit written materials or documents
  • #10 Write material for artistic or commercial purposes
  • and 6 more, in the table below
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Teach academic or vocational subjects 22#54 143#14
Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise 408#4 247#8
Advise others on educational or vocational matters 14#74 34#36
Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance 2.31#189 0.62#188
Write material for artistic or commercial purposes 149#10 105#18
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Edit written materials or documents 164#9 62#25
Present research or technical information 100#20 339#6
Show all 26 activities
Prepare informational or instructional materials 73#23 195#11
Perform administrative or clerical activities 58#30 25#44
Compile records, documentation, or other data 52#33 33#37
Purchase goods or services 47#36 0.39#220
Select materials or equipment for operations or projects 45#38 19#49
Examine materials or documentation for accuracy or compliance 22#53 12#64
Evaluate programs, practices, or processes 15#67 5.67#80
Promote products, services, or programs 14#72 85#20
Plan events or programs 5.26#123 1.90#133
Schedule operational activities 4.88#128 2.89#116
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures 2.52#181 2.47#121
Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance 1.94#201 0.78#175
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Train others on operational or work procedures 1.60#211 29#38
Prepare proposals or grant applications 1.47#214 0.60#190
Assign work to others 1.46#215 0.18#247
Serve on organizational committees 0.21#294 0.04#288
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance” holds 3 tasks rated AI + software, yet people asked AI for help with it in 2.31 of every 10,000 conversations, #189 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • An explanation or answer24%
  • Teaching material19%
  • A document or report15%
  • Math or a calculation6%
  • An analysis or summary6%

How they worked with Claude

31% handed the task off69% worked on it together

13% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for english language and literature teachers, postsecondary specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.English language and literature teachers, postsecondary: +0.0%English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondaryAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.English language and literature teachers, postsecondary: +0.0%English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 19,413 moves out

  1. 1 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 11%
  2. 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
  3. 3 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 7%
  4. 4 Editors Very high -1.1% 6%
  5. 5 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%

Where people moved in from

of 21,490 moves in

  1. 1 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 8%
  2. 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
  3. 3 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 6%
  4. 4 Editors Very high -1.1% 6%
  5. 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 10% less than high school
  • 30% master's
  • 1% post-master's certificate
  • 58% research doctorate

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 34 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 1% less than high school
  • 3% high school
  • 4% some college
  • 2% associate's
  • 16% bachelor's
  • 28% master's
  • 5% professional degree
  • 42% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers” · 15,280 people surveyed.

Why the two can differ

O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers”

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
21 programs, such as English/Language Arts Teacher Education, Comparative Literature and English Language and Literature, General.
See all
  • English/Language Arts Teacher Education
  • Comparative Literature
  • English Language and Literature, General
  • Writing, General
  • Creative Writing
  • Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing
  • Rhetoric and Composition
  • Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Other
  • General Literature
  • American Literature (United States)
  • American Literature (Canadian)
  • English Literature (British and Commonwealth)
  • Children's and Adolescent Literature
  • Literature, Other
  • English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
  • Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature
  • Linguistics and Anthropology
  • Linguistics and Computer Science
  • Digital Humanities and Textual Studies, General
  • Digital Humanities
  • Textual Studies

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

1.9% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a certification<0.5%5.8%
an educational certificate<0.5%2.8%
a licensenot published

Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)

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