The average salary for a professor in California is around $79,340 per year.
Avg Salary
Professors earn an average yearly salary of $79,340.
Wages typically start from $38,020 and go up to $156,730.
19% above national average Updated in 2021
Professor earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level professor earnings begin at:
$75.35 per hour
$156,730 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level professor earnings begin at:
$60.60 per hour
$126,040 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level professor earnings begin at:
$38.14 per hour
$79,340 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level professor earnings begin at:
$29.17 per hour
$60,680 per year
10th percentile
Starting level professor earnings begin at:
$18.28 per hour
$38,020 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Professor salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $96,100 |
| Alaska | $81,890 |
| Utah | $81,460 |
| California | $79,340 |
| Rhode Island | $78,160 |
| Hawaii | $78,110 |
| Maryland | $77,920 |
| Massachusetts | $77,740 |
| South Carolina | $77,650 |
| New Jersey | $77,280 |
| Connecticut | $77,170 |
| Delaware | $77,170 |
| North Dakota | $77,030 |
| Minnesota | $76,260 |
| Virginia | $75,600 |
| Tennessee | $73,990 |
| Pennsylvania | $73,600 |
| Wyoming | $69,940 |
| Oregon | $64,360 |
| Alabama | $63,900 |
| Indiana | $63,900 |
| North Carolina | $63,900 |
| New Hampshire | $63,900 |
| Maine | $63,740 |
| Michigan | $63,740 |
| New Mexico | $63,740 |
| Vermont | $63,740 |
| Arizona | $63,670 |
| Florida | $63,650 |
| Colorado | $63,530 |
| Louisiana | $63,470 |
| Ohio | $62,850 |
| Texas | $62,570 |
| Wisconsin | $62,350 |
| Missouri | $62,240 |
| Georgia | $62,100 |
| Montana | $61,880 |
| Kansas | $61,770 |
| Nevada | $61,550 |
| Oklahoma | $61,550 |
| Illinois | $61,520 |
| Washington | $61,510 |
| South Dakota | $61,120 |
| Kentucky | $61,010 |
| Mississippi | $60,630 |
| Iowa | $60,550 |
| Arkansas | $58,380 |
| Nebraska | $49,920 |
| Idaho | $48,490 |
| West Virginia | $38,810 |
| Puerto Rico | $31,680 |
| District of Columbia | $31,200 |
How do professor salaries compare to similar careers?
Professors earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than physical education teachers but more than childcare program administrators.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Physical education teacher salary | $123K |
| School principal salary | $127K |
| Distance learning coordinator salary | $99K |
| High school teacher salary | $96K |
| Teacher salary | $87K |
| Professor salary | $79K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $80K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $95K |
| School counselor salary | $76K |
| Childcare program administrator salary | $59K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)