SalaryExplorer

SOC 25-1123 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary — Springfield

Springfield, MO · 3 metro areas compared

$65,490 /year
150jobs in area
−16.8%vs US median

The median wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in Springfield, MO is $65,490 per year, 16.8% below the national median of $78,760.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $78,76010TH$46,800MEDIAN$65,49075TH$82,54090TH$105,450

How pay has moved

$83,928$59,70320212022202320242025$65,490
$63,740 in 2021 to $65,490 in 2025, +2.7% 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 Springfield, MO.

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

The median wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in Springfield, MO is $65,490 per year, 16.8% below the national median of $78,760. Pay ranges from under $46,800 at the tenth percentile to more than $105,450 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $52,660 to $82,540.

Employment stands at 150, or 0.7 jobs per thousand held locally. Columbia leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $80,250. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 111th of 431 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Springfield, MO · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$46,800−40.6%
25th$52,660−33.1%
Median (50th)$65,490−16.8%
75th$82,540+4.8%
90th$105,450+33.9%
Mean$77,130−2.1%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Missouri

Median annual wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Columbia$80,25070
2Kansas City$79,250180
3St. Louis$78,300460

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Springfield run 11.4% below the national average, so the median of $65,490 goes as far as $73,916 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 6.2% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$65,490as reported by BLS

Local price level

88.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$73,916US average = 100 · BEA 2024

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

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $65,490 a year, 16.8% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $46,800 to $105,450 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 150 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Columbia, at $80,250.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in Springfield, MO?

The median annual wage is $65,490, 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 Springfield, MO is 16.8% lower. 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 Springfield, MO earns more than $105,450 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $46,800 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 Columbia, at $80,250 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 150 jobs in this occupation in Springfield, MO. 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 Salary in Springfield, MO (2025): $65,490 Median | Salary Explorer