Foreign Language Professor salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 24 certified H-1B filings in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Evanston, River Forest, Valparaiso.

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

Median salary$70,000
Middle 50%$69.1k–$80.4k
vs. national median+1%comparison median $69,336
Filings24FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $55,309 and $96,373.
PercentileSalary
10th$66,950
25th$69,138
50th (median)$70,000
75th$80,447
90th$94,318

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $65k $80k FY2020: median $59,884 (14 filings) FY2021: median $59,884 (18 filings) FY2022: median $63,985 (17 filings) FY2023: median $65,000 (19 filings) FY2024: median $69,923 (12 filings) FY2025: median $70,000 (18 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 14 filings FY20 FY2021: 18 filings FY21 FY2022: 17 filings FY22 FY2023: 19 filings FY23 FY2024: 12 filings FY24 FY2025: 18 filings FY25 FY2026: 6 filings FY26 19
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$59,884$57,368$60,90014
FY2021$59,884$57,368$64,89218
FY2022$63,985$62,000$67,61817
FY2023$65,000$62,609$68,91719
FY2024$69,923$64,487$75,37512
FY2025$70,000$69,968$81,08318
FY2026–––6

Cost of living

Chicago's median Foreign Language Professor salary of $70,000 is worth about $67,600 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Chicago = 103.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $80,940 in May 2025 (490 employed). The H-1B median here is $70,000, 14% 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
Northwestern Universitytoo few9
The University of Chicagotoo few5
University of Chicagotoo few5
University of Illinois Chicagotoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $68,500 11
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$52,130$68,50011

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.