Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of adjunct faculty salary by state for the United States:
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California has the highest adjunct faculty salary of $117,732
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Oklahoma has the lowest adjunct faculty salary of $53,438
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The national average salary for adjunct faculties is $83,069
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The national hourly pay for adjunct faculties is $39.94
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
In today’s job market, salary remains the top priority for job seekers across various demographics. Many prospective adjunct faculty members frequently ask, “How much do adjunct faculties earn in my area?” Understanding these salaries is crucial when considering a career in academia.
While individual earnings can vary based on location and institutional factors, comprehensive data provides a clear overview of expected salaries for adjunct faculty by state. It’s essential to note that while your city may differ from the state average, these figures offer a solid foundation for salary expectations.
California stands out as the state offering the highest average salary for adjunct faculties.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for adjunct faculty salaries:
Let’s take a look at how we got here and a full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Adjunct Faculties By State
| Rank | State | Average Adjunct Faculty Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $117,732 | $67,000 | $204,000 |
| 2 | New York | $108,928 | $62,000 | $188,000 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $106,669 | $61,000 | $184,000 |
| 4 | Vermont | $104,564 | $60,000 | $179,000 |
| 5 | Washington | $94,034 | $55,000 | $159,000 |
| 6 | Maine | $93,622 | $53,000 | $163,000 |
| 7 | North Carolina | $92,495 | $50,000 | $169,000 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $89,269 | $51,000 | $154,000 |
| 9 | Florida | $88,474 | $47,000 | $163,000 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $87,557 | $49,000 | $156,000 |
| 11 | Oregon | $87,417 | $50,000 | $151,000 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $86,882 | $44,000 | $169,000 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $84,910 | $47,000 | $151,000 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $84,603 | $51,000 | $138,000 |
| 15 | Alaska | $84,109 | $50,000 | $139,000 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $82,989 | $45,000 | $150,000 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $81,003 | $44,000 | $147,000 |
| 18 | Utah | $80,317 | $46,000 | $139,000 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $80,110 | $44,000 | $145,000 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $79,775 | $47,000 | $134,000 |
| 21 | Montana | $79,314 | $48,000 | $130,000 |
| 22 | Michigan | $79,239 | $44,000 | $140,000 |
| 23 | Nevada | $78,539 | $42,000 | $144,000 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $77,853 | $42,000 | $142,000 |
| 25 | Virginia | $76,510 | $40,000 | $143,000 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $75,678 | $42,000 | $135,000 |
| 27 | Arizona | $73,392 | $39,000 | $136,000 |
| 28 | Delaware | $73,283 | $39,000 | $134,000 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $72,899 | $43,000 | $122,000 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $71,265 | $43,000 | $118,000 |
| 31 | Ohio | $70,874 | $39,000 | $127,000 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $69,923 | $37,000 | $131,000 |
| 33 | Idaho | $69,425 | $40,000 | $119,000 |
| 34 | Georgia | $68,978 | $37,000 | $127,000 |
| 35 | Missouri | $68,837 | $39,000 | $120,000 |
| 36 | Texas | $68,060 | $36,000 | $126,000 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $66,864 | $36,000 | $121,000 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $66,383 | $36,000 | $120,000 |
| 39 | Indiana | $65,267 | $36,000 | $116,000 |
| 40 | Maryland | $64,769 | $35,000 | $119,000 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $64,465 | $35,000 | $116,000 |
| 42 | Alabama | $63,068 | $34,000 | $115,000 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $62,992 | $34,000 | $115,000 |
| 44 | Kansas | $62,844 | $36,000 | $108,000 |
| 45 | Colorado | $62,412 | $37,000 | $105,000 |
| 46 | Iowa | $60,885 | $35,000 | $104,000 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $59,116 | $33,000 | $104,000 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $58,741 | $35,000 | $97,000 |
| 49 | Illinois | $58,401 | $33,000 | $102,000 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $53,438 | $30,000 | $93,000 |
Methodology: Adjunct Faculty Salary By State
To better understand adjunct faculty pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data across a multitude of channels, including the BLS, FLC, and OPM. We then supplement that data with actual listed salaries from job postings. Finally, the data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to create an average pay for adjunct faculties by state.
We took the average annual salary data for adjunct faculties from these estimates and ranked every state based on this criterion, with the state with the highest salary ranking as the highest average salary for adjunct faculties.
Adjunct Faculty Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for adjunct faculties?
The highest-paid state for adjunct faculties is California with an average salary of $117,732 per year.
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What city pays adjunct faculties the most?
San Francisco, CA pays adjunct faculties the most with an average salary of $129,611 per year.
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What is the worst state for adjunct faculties?
The worst state for adjunct faculties is Oklahoma with an average salary of $53,438 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
