Professor earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level professor earnings begin at:

$61.17 per hour

$127,240 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level professor earnings begin at:

$46.85 per hour

$97,450 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level professor earnings begin at:

$36.35 per hour

$75,600 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level professor earnings begin at:

$24.03 per hour

$49,990 per year

10th percentile

Starting level professor earnings begin at:

$18.05 per hour

$37,550 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 Virginia. On average, they make less than school principals but more than school counselors.

Career Median Salary
School principal salary $98K
Professor salary $76K
High school teacher salary $73K
Elementary school teacher salary $64K
Teacher salary $67K
School counselor salary $63K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)