English as Second/Foreign Language

Types of Degrees English as Second/Foreign Language Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many teaching English as a second or foreign language/ESL language instructor graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	3,448
Graduate Certificate	1,252
Basic Certificate	587
Bachelor’s Degree	401
Doctor’s Degree	38
Undergraduate Certificate	32
Associate Degree	6

What English as Second/Foreign Language Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to teaching English as a second or foreign language were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• 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.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.

Skills for Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to teaching English as a second or foreign language:

• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
• 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.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Majors

A major in teaching English as a second or foreign language will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a English as Second/Foreign Language Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with teaching English as a second or foreign language:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	7.4%	$58,230
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	8.0%	$55,470
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$58,600
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$60,320

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in English as Second/Foreign Language?

This major is dominated by women with about 84% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of teaching English as a second or foreign language majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	27
Black or African American	9
Hispanic or Latino	112
White	176
International Students	50
Other Races/Ethnicities	27

Geographic Diversity

Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor appeals to people across the globe. About 12.5% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do English as Second/Foreign Language Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $58,370 to $62,200 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to teaching English as a second or foreign language. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to English as Second/Foreign Language

Some careers associated with teaching English as a second or foreign language require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for teaching English as a second or foreign language careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	0.3%
Some College Courses	0.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	64.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	12.3%
Master’s Degree	15.7%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.9%
Doctoral Degree	0.9%

Online English as Second/Foreign Language Programs

In 2020-2021, 443 schools offered a teaching English as a second or foreign language program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	14	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	5	2
Bachelor’s Degree	196	49
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	247	43
Post-Master’s	61	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	10	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in English as Second/Foreign Language Worth It?

The median salary for a teaching English as a second or foreign language grad is $62,030 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 55% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $442,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to English as Second/Foreign Language

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to teaching English as a second or foreign language.

Major	Number of Grads
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other	27

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By G0h4r under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.