Professor Salaries by State and Rank

Short answer: full professors averaged $163,836 in 2025-26, associate professors $113,427 and assistant professors $97,232, according to the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Where you teach matters almost as much as your rank: average faculty pay ranges from $68,170 in Arkansas to $126,502 in Massachusetts. Hover over the map to see your state.

By the AcademicCareers.com editorial team · Updated October 14, 2026 · 9-minute read

Faculty salaries in every state

The map shows the average salary of full-time faculty at all colleges and universities in each state, from community colleges to research universities, using the U.S. Department of Education's latest complete figures. Hover over a state, or tap it on a phone, for the averages by rank.

The highest- and lowest-paying states

Only 17 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia pay above the national average of $96,840. The top of the list is dominated by the Northeast and California; the bottom by rural states in the South and the Plains.

Rank by rank, the pattern holds. Full professors earn the most in California ($171,578) and Massachusetts ($171,497). Assistant professors start highest in California ($101,050), the District of Columbia ($100,385) and Massachusetts ($99,661), and lowest in Montana ($64,064), West Virginia ($65,811) and Arkansas ($66,401).

Why pay varies so much between states

• The mix of colleges. States with many research universities and wealthy private universities, such as Massachusetts, California, Connecticut and the District of Columbia, pull their averages up. Where community colleges and regional public universities employ most faculty, averages are lower.
• Cost of living. Salaries track local living costs and the local job market. A lower salary in a lower-cost state can go as far as a higher one on either coast, so compare offers after housing costs.
• State funding. Public universities' budgets depend on state appropriations, which differ widely.
• Unions. Faculty at many public systems, including California State University, the City and State Universities of New York and Rutgers, negotiate salary scales by contract.

Average salary by rank, 2025-26

AAUP's survey of 768 colleges and universities and more than 359,000 full-time faculty is the most detailed annual source on faculty pay. Its averages are higher than the Department of Education's because most participating colleges are four-year institutions.

Promotion is where salaries jump. Moving from assistant to associate professor, usually with tenure, adds about $16,000 on average; moving from associate to full professor adds about $50,000.

Salaries by type of college

The best-paid group in the survey is full professors at private-independent doctoral universities, at $237,467 on average. Faculty at liberal arts colleges and master's universities earn similar amounts at each rank, but well below research universities.

Are faculty salaries keeping up with inflation?

Not quite. Average salaries rose 2.3 percent from fall 2024 to fall 2025, while consumer prices rose 2.7 percent, so real pay fell about 0.4 percent. Faculty who stayed at the same institution did better, with raises of about 3.4 percent. Although 81.8 percent of colleges raised pay, only 40.6 percent raised it faster than inflation, and after inflation the average full-time salary is still about 9.5 percent below its fall 2019 level.

The gender gap

Across all ranks, women averaged $108,678 and men $130,064 in 2025-26, so women earned 83.6 percent of men's average. Part of the gap reflects differences in rank and field, but it persists within ranks: women full professors averaged $150,245, against $172,101 for men.

Which fields pay the most

Discipline matters as much as rank. CUPA-HR's 2024-25 data show that faculty, full-time and adjunct alike, are paid some of the highest rates in architecture, engineering, law, area and group studies, the health professions and business, and some of the lowest in recreation and fitness, security and protective services, history, education and English. Faculty at medical schools, who often earn the most, are not included in the averages on this page.

Pay beyond the base salary

• Nine-month contracts. Most faculty salaries cover the academic year. Summer teaching, research grants and administrative work add to them.
• Start-up packages. Research universities fund equipment, research assistants and travel for new faculty, sometimes worth more than a year's salary.
• Stipends. Department chairs and program directors usually receive an extra stipend or a twelve-month contract.
• Benefits. Retirement contributions, health coverage and tuition benefits for family members add substantially to total compensation and differ widely between colleges.

How to use these numbers

If you are weighing an offer, compare it with the averages for the same rank, the same type of college and the same state, then read our guide to negotiating a faculty job offer. Salaries at many public universities are published, which makes comparisons easy.

If you are hiring, use the figures to set a realistic range. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia now require pay ranges in job ads; see pay transparency laws for job ads.

Frequently asked questions

Which state pays professors the most?

Massachusetts, where full-time faculty averaged $126,502 in 2023-24, followed by the District of Columbia, California, Connecticut and New Jersey. For full professors, California ($171,578) and Massachusetts ($171,497) are almost tied.

What is the average salary of a college professor?

It depends on who is counted. AAUP's 2025-26 average for all ranks is $119,836, mostly at four-year colleges. Across every college, community colleges included, the Department of Education's 2023-24 average is $96,840. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counts all postsecondary teachers, reports a median of $85,330 for May 2025.

How much does an assistant professor make?

$97,232 on average in AAUP's 2025-26 survey. By state, the average ranges from $64,064 in Montana to $101,050 in California (2023-24).

How much do community college professors make?

At two-year colleges with academic ranks, full-time faculty averaged $89,692 in 2025-26, and full professors $110,739. At two-year colleges without ranks, the average was $91,802.

Who are the highest-paid professors?

Full professors at private-independent doctoral universities, at $237,467 on average in 2025-26. Medical school faculty, who are not included in these figures, often earn more.