What do 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.

Also known as:

Adjunct English Instructor, Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Professor, Adjunct Writing Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Composition Instructor, Creative Writing Professor, Developmental English Instructor, Developmental Reading Instructor, English Instructor, English Professor, English Teacher, Faculty Member, Humanities Professor, Instructor, Languages Instructor, Lecturer, Literature Instructor, Literature Professor, Professor, Reading Instructor, Teacher

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary is projected to show little or no change from 2022 to 2032.

Projected Employment For All United States

No Data Available
  • 1.1%

    Change

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    5,600

    Job Openings

    Select a state to see its net job growth ranking

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (47%)
  • Master's degree  (31%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (15%)
  • Associate's degree  (2%)
  • Some college, no degree  (2%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (2%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

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People in this career often have these skills:

  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
  • Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
  • Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Teach classes in area of specialization.
  • Teach humanities courses at the college level.
  • Evaluate student work.
  • Develop instructional materials.
  • Guide class discussions.
  • Maintain student records.
  • Evaluate effectiveness of educational programs.
  • Develop instructional objectives.
  • Tutor students who need extra assistance.
  • Stay informed about current developments in field of specialization.
  • Attend training sessions or professional meetings to develop or maintain professional knowledge.
  • Administer tests to assess educational needs or progress.
  • Prepare tests.
  • Advise students on academic or career matters.
  • Research topics in area of expertise.
  • Write articles, books or other original materials in area of expertise.
  • Teach online courses.
  • Schedule instructional activities.
  • Prepare staff schedules or work assignments.
  • Prepare activity or work schedules.
  • Write reports or evaluations.
  • Supervise student research or internship work.
  • Select educational materials or equipment.
  • Order instructional or library materials or equipment.
  • Direct department activities.
  • Serve on institutional or departmental committees.
  • Train staff members.
  • Direct activities of subordinates.
  • Plan community programs or activities for the general public.
  • Promote educational institutions or programs.
  • Perform student enrollment or registration activities.
  • Compile specialized bibliographies or lists of materials.
  • Evaluate performance of educational staff.
  • Write grant proposals.
  • Proofread documents, records, or other files to ensure accuracy.
  • Edit written materials.
  • Edit documents.
  • Advise educators on curricula, instructional methods, or policies.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

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