Best states for an adjunct faculty

Q: What is the best state for adjunct faculties?

The best state to be an adjunct faculty is New York based on adjunct faculty salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for adjunct faculties?

The highest paying state for adjunct faculties is Oklahoma based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for adjunct faculties?

The worst state for adjunct faculties is Oklahoma, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

David Chang

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It seems like adjunct faculties are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for adjunct faculties aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Although there are abundant adjunct faculty jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. New York is the best state in the country for adjunct faculty jobs.

We figured that the best places for adjunct faculty jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that the Midwest is best for adjunct faculties, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for adjunct faculty jobs, where as New York is the best state in the country.

10 best states for adjunct faculties in 2025

1. New York
Total adjunct faculty jobs: 1,409
Average annual salary: $108,928
Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000
Location Quotient:
2.05
Adjunct faculty jobs in New York
2. Vermont
Total adjunct faculty jobs: 54
Average annual salary: $104,564
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $179,000
Location Quotient:
1.31
Adjunct faculty jobs in Vermont
3. California
Total adjunct faculty jobs: 1,289
Average annual salary: $117,732
Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $204,000
Location Quotient:
0.82
Adjunct faculty jobs in California
4. North Carolina
Total adjunct faculty jobs: 557
Average annual salary: $92,495
Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000
Location Quotient:
1.08
Adjunct faculty jobs in North Carolina
5. Massachusetts
Total adjunct faculty jobs: 343
Average annual salary: $106,669
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000
Location Quotient:
0.7
Adjunct faculty jobs in Massachusetts
6. Oregon
Total adjunct faculty jobs: 390
Average annual salary: $87,417
Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000
Location Quotient:
1.75
Adjunct faculty jobs in Oregon
7. Alaska
Total adjunct faculty jobs: 117
Average annual salary: $84,109
Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000
Location Quotient:
2.61
Adjunct faculty jobs in Alaska
8. Wisconsin
Total adjunct faculty jobs: 217
Average annual salary: $89,269
Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000
Location Quotient:
0.73
Adjunct faculty jobs in Wisconsin
9. Maine
Total adjunct faculty jobs: 34
Average annual salary: $93,622
Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000
Location Quotient:
0.48
Adjunct faculty jobs in Maine
10. Rhode Island
Total adjunct faculty jobs: 46
Average annual salary: $87,557
Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $156,000
Location Quotient:
0.7
Adjunct faculty jobs in Rhode Island

Adjunct faculty jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be an adjunct faculty

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for an adjunct faculty

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	New York	$108,928	$62,000	19,849,399	1,409
2	Vermont	$104,564	$60,000	623,657	54
3	California	$117,732	$67,000	39,536,653	1,289
4	North Carolina	$92,495	$50,000	10,273,419	557
5	Massachusetts	$106,669	$61,000	6,859,819	343
6	Oregon	$87,417	$50,000	4,142,776	390
7	Alaska	$84,109	$50,000	739,795	117
8	Wisconsin	$89,269	$51,000	5,795,483	217
9	Maine	$93,622	$53,000	1,335,907	34
10	Rhode Island	$87,557	$49,000	1,059,639	46
11	Washington	$94,034	$55,000	7,405,743	202
12	Pennsylvania	$81,003	$44,000	12,805,537	671
13	West Virginia	$77,853	$42,000	1,815,857	99
14	Florida	$88,474	$47,000	20,984,400	535
15	Montana	$79,314	$48,000	1,050,493	115
16	New Jersey	$82,989	$45,000	9,005,644	588
17	Michigan	$79,239	$44,000	9,962,311	392
18	Utah	$80,317	$46,000	3,101,833	151
19	Virginia	$76,510	$40,000	8,470,020	1,058
20	New Hampshire	$84,910	$47,000	1,342,795	34
21	North Dakota	$84,603	$51,000	755,393	12
22	District of Columbia	$75,858	$41,000	693,972	171
23	Minnesota	$79,775	$47,000	5,576,606	192
24	South Carolina	$69,923	$37,000	5,024,369	388
25	Connecticut	$80,110	$44,000	3,588,184	65
26	Nevada	$78,539	$42,000	2,998,039	36
27	Nebraska	$72,899	$43,000	1,920,076	93
28	Ohio	$70,874	$39,000	11,658,609	449
29	New Mexico	$75,678	$42,000	2,088,070	62
30	Kentucky	$66,383	$36,000	4,454,189	348
31	Hawaii	$86,882	$44,000	1,427,538	9
32	Mississippi	$66,864	$36,000	2,984,100	130
33	Arizona	$73,392	$39,000	7,016,270	166
34	Texas	$68,060	$36,000	28,304,596	1,304
35	Indiana	$65,267	$36,000	6,666,818	480
36	Wyoming	$71,265	$43,000	579,315	15
37	Georgia	$68,978	$37,000	10,429,379	454
38	Colorado	$62,412	$37,000	5,607,154	600
39	Missouri	$68,837	$39,000	6,113,532	224
40	Delaware	$73,283	$39,000	961,939	27
41	Tennessee	$64,465	$35,000	6,715,984	211
42	Maryland	$64,769	$35,000	6,052,177	373
43	Louisiana	$62,992	$34,000	4,684,333	188
44	Idaho	$69,425	$40,000	1,716,943	17
45	Alabama	$63,068	$34,000	4,874,747	214
46	Iowa	$60,885	$35,000	3,145,711	207
47	Kansas	$62,844	$36,000	2,913,123	46
48	South Dakota	$58,741	$35,000	869,666	33
49	Illinois	$58,401	$33,000	12,802,023	425
50	Arkansas	$59,116	$33,000	3,004,279	34
51	Oklahoma	$53,438	$30,000	3,930,864	64

Highest paying states for adjunct faculties

Rank	State	Avg. Adjunct Faculty Salary
1	New York	$108,928
2	Vermont	$104,564
3	California	$117,732
4	North Carolina	$92,495
5	Massachusetts	$106,669
6	Oregon	$87,417
7	Alaska	$84,109
8	Wisconsin	$89,269
9	Maine	$93,622
10	Rhode Island	$87,557
11	Washington	$94,034
12	Pennsylvania	$81,003
13	West Virginia	$77,853
14	Florida	$88,474
15	Montana	$79,314
16	New Jersey	$82,989
17	Michigan	$79,239
18	Utah	$80,317
19	Virginia	$76,510
20	New Hampshire	$84,910
21	North Dakota	$84,603
22	District of Columbia	$75,858
23	Minnesota	$79,775
24	South Carolina	$69,923
25	Connecticut	$80,110
26	Nevada	$78,539
27	Nebraska	$72,899
28	Ohio	$70,874
29	New Mexico	$75,678
30	Kentucky	$66,383
31	Hawaii	$86,882
32	Mississippi	$66,864
33	Arizona	$73,392
34	Texas	$68,060
35	Indiana	$65,267
36	Wyoming	$71,265
37	Georgia	$68,978
38	Colorado	$62,412
39	Missouri	$68,837
40	Delaware	$73,283
41	Tennessee	$64,465
42	Maryland	$64,769
43	Louisiana	$62,992
44	Idaho	$69,425
45	Alabama	$63,068
46	Iowa	$60,885
47	Kansas	$62,844
48	South Dakota	$58,741
49	Illinois	$58,401
50	Arkansas	$59,116
51	Oklahoma	$53,438

Expert opinions on the best states for adjunct faculties

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for adjunct facultys to find work opportunities?
David Chang
Chairperson, Frost Professor of Art, Florida International University
Miami is one of the best places to find work opportunities in visual arts and art education. It is an international center for the arts, e.g., Art Basel, Art Miami, Art Context, and many other high-profiled art events throughout the year. For the art education field, Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the fourth largest school district in the nation, and there is a continuous demand for our graduates.

Adjunct faculty best states FAQs

What is the best state for adjunct faculties?

What is the highest paying state for adjunct faculties?

What is the worst state for adjunct faculties?

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Best states for Adjunct Faculties

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total adjunct faculty jobs:	1,409
Average annual salary:	$108,928
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$62,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$188,000
Location Quotient:	2.05

Best states for an adjunct faculty

10 best states for adjunct faculties in 2025

1. New York

2. Vermont

3. California

4. North Carolina

5. Massachusetts

6. Oregon

7. Alaska

8. Wisconsin

9. Maine

10. Rhode Island