Foreign Language Professor salary in Boston, MA

Based on 29 certified H-1B filings in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cambridge, Lowell, Waltham, Medford, Plymouth.

Also listed as: Foreign Language Instructor, Assistant Professor of Spanish

Median salary$80,000
Middle 50%$72.5k–$90.1k
vs. national median+15%comparison median $69,336
Filings29FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $65,940 and $119,680.
PercentileSalary
10th$67,782
25th$72,467
50th (median)$80,000
75th$90,100
90th$104,000

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $70k $90k FY2020: median $62,628 (20 filings) FY2021: median $63,000 (15 filings) FY2022: median $67,750 (10 filings) FY2023: median $70,300 (24 filings) FY2024: median $74,500 (23 filings) FY2025: median $80,000 (15 filings) FY2026: median $80,371 (14 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 20 filings FY20 FY2021: 15 filings FY21 FY2022: 10 filings FY22 FY2023: 24 filings FY23 FY2024: 23 filings FY24 FY2025: 15 filings FY25 FY2026: 14 filings FY26 24
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$62,628$59,500$70,98420
FY2021$63,000$53,750$71,00015
FY2022$67,750$64,250$71,02810
FY2023$70,300$68,300$74,75024
FY2024$74,500$72,450$92,66023
FY2025$80,000$71,234$96,92715
FY2026$80,371$77,205$84,53314

Cost of living

Boston's median Foreign Language Professor salary of $80,000 is worth about $73,900 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).

Compared with all workers here

All Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $99,100 in May 2025 (630 employed). The H-1B median here is $80,000, 19% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
Harvard University$88,20010
Trustees Of Boston Universitytoo few6
University of Massachusetts Lowelltoo few4
Bentley Universitytoo few2
Massachusetts Institute of Technologytoo few2
Tufts Universitytoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $78,929 18
Mid-level · Level II – 0
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$65,940$78,92918

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.