Career comparison
English Professor vs. Foreign Language Professor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Foreign language professors earn more at the median ($79,350 vs. $78,760), while english professors usually get to work faster (6–8 years after a bachelor’s of training). English professors teach college students to read closely and write well. Foreign language professors teach college students to speak, read and understand another language and culture.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| English Professor | Foreign Language Professor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $78,760 | $79,350 |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $48,270 – $137,250 | $49,060 – $136,050 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | 0.0% (little or no change) | +0.2% (little or no change) |
| Openings per year | 4,500 | 1,600 |
| Typical entry education | Doctoral or professional degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Training time | 6–8 years after a bachelor’s | 6–8 years after a bachelor’s |
| Key credential | Ph.D. in English | Ph.D. in the language |
| Work setting | Faculty work in classrooms, offices and libraries.. | Faculty work in classrooms, language labs and abroad on study programs.. |
What each job does
English Professor
- Teach composition and literature
- Give feedback on student writing
- Research and publish
- Mentor students
- Advise literary magazines
Foreign Language Professor
- Teach language courses
- Teach literature and culture
- Lead study abroad programs
- Run conversation hours
- Conduct research
How they’re similar
Both careers involve creative work, working independently, working with people, and helping others. Both are part of the education & childcare field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose english professor if…
- I love books
- I love writing
- I give careful feedback
Choose foreign language professor if…
- I speak another language well
- I love other cultures
- I like teaching
Still torn? Take the English Professor fit quiz and the Foreign Language Professor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, english professor or foreign language professor?
Foreign Language Professors earn more at the median: $79,350 versus $78,760 for english professors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
English Professors typically train faster (6–8 years after a bachelor’s) than foreign language professors (6–8 years after a bachelor’s).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects foreign language professors to grow +0.2% from 2025–35, compared with 0.0% for english professors.