Career comparison
Foreign Language Professor vs. History Professor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
History professors earn more at the median ($83,820 vs. $79,350), while foreign language professors usually get to work faster (6–8 years after a bachelor’s of training). Foreign language professors teach college students to speak, read and understand another language and culture. History professors teach college students how the past shaped today and how to study it.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Foreign Language Professor | History Professor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $79,350 | $83,820 |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $49,060 – $136,050 | $48,410 – $162,160 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +0.2% (little or no change) | 0.0% (little or no change) |
| Openings per year | 1,600 | 1,500 |
| 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 the language | Ph.D. in history |
| Work setting | Faculty work in classrooms, language labs and abroad on study programs.. | Faculty work in classrooms, offices, libraries and archives.. |
What each job does
Foreign Language Professor
- Teach language courses
- Teach literature and culture
- Lead study abroad programs
- Run conversation hours
- Conduct research
History Professor
- Teach history courses
- Teach primary source analysis
- Research in archives
- Publish articles and books
- Mentor students
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with people, creative work, travel, and working independently. Both are part of the education & childcare field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose foreign language professor if…
- I speak another language well
- I love other cultures
- I like teaching
Choose history professor if…
- I love history
- I like digging through archives
- I like writing
Still torn? Take the Foreign Language Professor fit quiz and the History Professor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, foreign language professor or history professor?
History Professors earn more at the median: $83,820 versus $79,350 for foreign language professors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Foreign Language Professors typically train faster (6–8 years after a bachelor’s) than history 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 history professors.