SalaryExplorer

SOC 25-1123 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary — Detroit

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI · 3 metro areas compared

$104,070 /year
420jobs in area
+32.1%vs US median

In Detroit, MI the median wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary reaches $104,070 a year.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $78,76010TH$46,53025TH$82,430MEDIAN$104,07090TH$131,530

How pay has moved

$110,523$71,8082019202020212022202320242025$104,070
$91,630 in 2019 to $104,070 in 2025, +13.6% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow more slowly than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
0.0%
Openings per year
5,100
Typical entry-level education
Doctoral or professional degree

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In Detroit, MI the median wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary reaches $104,070 a year. That is 32.1% more than the national median of $78,760. Pay ranges from under $46,530 at the tenth percentile to more than $131,530 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $82,430 to $130,160.

The area has 420 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.59 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Ann Arbor records the highest median at $137,400. Of the 671 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 95th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$46,530−40.9%
25th$82,430+4.7%
Median (50th)$104,070+32.1%
75th$130,160+65.3%
90th$131,530+67.0%
Mean$99,990+27.0%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Michigan

Median annual wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Ann Arbor$137,400350
2Lansing$84,790270
3Grand Rapids$78,260220

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Detroit sit close to the national average, so $104,070 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.

Published median

$104,070as reported by BLS

Local price level

100.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$103,759US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $104,070 a year, 32.1% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $46,530 to $131,530 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 420 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Ann Arbor, at $137,400.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in Detroit, MI?

The median annual wage is $104,070, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $78,760, so pay in Detroit, MI is 32.1% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Detroit, MI earns more than $131,530 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $46,530 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Ann Arbor, at $137,400 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 420 jobs in this occupation in Detroit, MI. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in Detroit, MI Earn $104,070 — 32.1% Above the US Median (2025) | Salary Explorer