What is an Assistant Professor?

Q: Do you need a Ph.D. to be an assistant professor?

Yes, you need a Ph.D. to be an assistant professor. The ranking of professorship positions can be complicated, but there are specific reasons for each level and the education required. An assistant professor represents the first stage or level of a professorship at a college or university.

Assistant professors are entry-level academic staff who assist full-time professors at universities or colleges. They write proposals for research funding, voice their concerns and suggestions at faculty meetings, recruit and train junior staff, and answer students' questions via email or over the phone.

Academic environments are highly competitive, so you need to be able to keep a fast pace and show what you are made of. You will need to have a Ph.D. degree to be considered for this position, but this does not mean your learning days are over. You will have to write and publish papers in academic journals in your field and do presentations at conferences if you have the chance. Assistant professors give classes and supervise graduate and undergraduate students in their work as well.

Being an assistant professor is a challenging and promising phase in an academic career, as long as you get the chance to eventually upgrade to full employment. As an entry-level tenure track position, an assistant professor makes $60,167 per year on average.

What Does an Assistant Professor Do

There are certain skills that many assistant professors have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed interpersonal skills, speaking skills and writing skills.

Learn more about what an Assistant Professor does

How To Become an Assistant Professor

If you're interested in becoming an assistant professor, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 43.9% of assistant professors have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 25.0% of assistant professors have master's degrees. Even though most assistant professors have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become an Assistant Professor

Top Assistant Professor Jobs Near You

Assistant Professor Career Paths

As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, an assistant professor can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as consultant, progress to a title such as adjunct professor and then eventually end up with the title assistant principal.

Top Careers Before Assistant Professor

Instructor (39,273 Jobs)

13.1 %

Research Assistant (51,080 Jobs)

8.8 %

Lecturer (26,449 Jobs)

7.3 %

Top Careers After Assistant Professor

Associate Professor (30,083 Jobs)

18.2 %

Adjunct Professor (22,488 Jobs)

9.4 %

Professor (21,861 Jobs)

7.1 %

Recent Job Searches

Average Salary for an Assistant Professor

Assistant Professors in America make an average salary of $87,099 per year or $42 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $151,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $50,000 per year.

Average Assistant Professor Salary

$87,099 Yearly

$41.87 hourly

$50,00010%

$87,000Median

$151,00090%

See More Salary Information

What Am I Worth?

Roles and Types of Assistant Professor

The role of an assistant professor includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general assistant professor responsibilities:

Focus on the economics of energy
Promote, implement, and maintain the health studies program. Provide leadership, creative problem solving,
Conduct research and publish in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals obtain external funding

There are several types of assistant professor, including:

Adjunct Professor

Role:

So if you're wondering if there's a difference between the adjunct professor that taught your chemistry I class and the professor who teaches the astronomy II class, there is. An adjunct professor is typically hired on a contractual basis.

While it may not be a permanent position, an adjunct professor does essentially the same things a regular professor does. From writing a syllabus to teaching the class, holding office hours and grading tests, an adjunct professor position really is a great starting point if you want to become a full-time professor in the future. Or, ya know, if you just need a little extra cash on the side.

Average Salary: $98,821
Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Adjunct Instructor

Role:

As an adjunct instructor, your goal is to impart your wisdom onto students. While also being in charge of coming up with a syllabus for your class, holding office hours and grading their papers. We should note that adjunct instructors aren't full-time. And you probably shouldn't expect the same benefits that are accosted to professors.

Adjunct Instructors are hired on a contractual basis, meaning it's a nice way to make a little extra money but probably shouldn't be your only gig. If your goal is to become a full-time professor in the future, then this is definitely the right stepping stone on that path. If nothing else, you'll at least be able to work on your public speaking. We don't have to tell you how handy that can come in.

Average Salary: $52,030
Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Adjunct Faculty

Role:

The adjunct faculty is responsible for teaching graduates and undergraduate students in a specific field of expertise. You are allowed to plan, create, lecture, and provide in-class discussions and assignments. Your job allows you to plan and develop a syllabus and ensure it meets college and departmental standards. Plus, you are responsible for grading and assigning papers, exams, and quizzes.

You will give class instructions, evaluate students' performance, and also coordinate courseware and curriculum with the academic department head. However, you will need to be a people person as you need to develop and sustain relationships with students for effectiveness. You will also need to participate in faculty meetings involving departmental updates, prepare materials and supervise the distribution, and make copies of supplementary materials available for distribution in class. You may also be required to maintain a record of student progress, involvement, and attendance.

An adjunct faculty must be detail-oriented, punctual, and must be able to motivate. He/She must also be a lover of academics, possess excellent communication skills, self-discipline, and the ability to teach well. The average salary of an adjunct faculty yearly is $50,000. An adjunct faculty must have a Master's degree in a related academic field.

Average Salary: $83,069
Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Assistant Professor Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active assistant professor jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where assistant professors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Assistant Professor Jobs By State

Rank	State	Number of Jobs	Average Salary
1	New York	1,346	$100,425
2	Texas	1,317	$100,269
3	California	1,089	$92,944
4	Virginia	952	$86,931
5	Pennsylvania	647	$92,509
6	Colorado	580	$86,995
7	Florida	492	$93,415
8	New Jersey	483	$100,274
9	North Carolina	474	$96,454
10	Illinois	437	$77,162
11	Kentucky	397	$68,713
12	Oregon	383	$108,281
13	Maryland	380	$102,860
14	Ohio	375	$100,317
15	Massachusetts	367	$107,352
16	Georgia	367	$90,490
17	Michigan	332	$75,818
18	South Carolina	274	$57,732
19	Minnesota	272	$84,937
20	Wisconsin	257	$78,023
21	Alabama	248	$81,865
22	Washington	225	$98,786
23	Missouri	222	$85,100
24	Louisiana	203	$97,274
25	Iowa	203	$81,830
26	Indiana	164	$89,929
27	Tennessee	162	$71,827
28	Utah	160	$98,813
29	West Virginia	152	$71,546
30	Mississippi	150	$92,363
31	Arizona	143	$87,995
32	Nebraska	122	$75,141
33	Montana	114	$64,359
34	Alaska	91	$105,431
35	New Mexico	80	$105,889
36	Connecticut	78	$93,354
37	Kansas	78	$72,582
38	Oklahoma	66	$78,033
39	Vermont	64	$84,744
40	South Dakota	63	$63,584
41	Arkansas	57	$74,270
42	Rhode Island	56	$93,510
43	Maine	51	$62,485
44	New Hampshire	43	$88,812
45	Delaware	34	$90,959
46	Idaho	24	$67,753
47	Nevada	22	$101,217
48	North Dakota	19	$79,920
49	Wyoming	15	$70,840
50	Hawaii	9	$114,102

Assistant Professor Education

Assistant Professor Majors

Nursing

11.7 %

Biology

7.3 %

Psychology

7.1 %

Assistant Professor Degrees

Admissions

Most Popular Majors

Biology

Business

Pharmacy

Education

Mechanical Engineering

Top Skills For an Assistant Professor

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 17.0% of assistant professors listed patients on their resume, but soft skills such as interpersonal skills and speaking skills are important as well.

Patients, 17.0%

Public Health, 6.3%

Pediatrics, 4.8%

Curriculum Development, 4.3%

Research Projects, 4.3%

Other Skills, 63.3%

Choose From 10+ Customizable Assistant Professor Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Assistant Professor templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Assistant Professor resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Assistant Professor Demographics

Assistant Professor Gender Distribution

Male

56%

Female

45%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

Among assistant professors, 44.5% of them are women, while 55.5% are men.

The most common race/ethnicity among assistant professors is White, which makes up 62.5% of all assistant professors.

The most common foreign language among assistant professors is Spanish at 31.4%.

Online Courses For Assistant Professor That You May Like

Advertising Disclosure

1. Genomics: Decoding the Universal Language of Life

What is a genome? A genome contains all of the information that a cell needs to develop, function, and reproduce itself, and all the information needed for those cells to come together to form a person, plant, or animal. Genomes contain an organism’s complete set of genes, and also the even tinier genetic structures that help regulate when and how those genes are used. The ability to regrow a torn ligament, the clues that might predict the onset of mental illness, the nutritional potential of...

See More on Coursera

2. Construction Project Management

Construction Project Management introduces learners to Project Initiation and Planning. Columbia University professor, Ibrahim Odeh, along with industry experts join together to provide a comprehensive overview of the construction industry. There are 10 modules that allow learners to become knowledgeable of construction management within the dynamic construction industry. Professor Odeh teaches learners about the fundamentals of the Project Development Cycle while guest lecturers discuss Lean...

See More on Coursera

3. Academic Information Seeking

This course will introduce you to the basic elements of academic information seeking - we will explore the search process from defining a strategy to evaluating and documenting your search results. Attending the course will make you a proficient information seeker. You will learn how to carry out comprehensive literature searches based on your own research assignment. You will be guided through the various information seeking steps from selecting relevant search strategies and techniques to...

See More on Coursera

Show More Assistant Professor Courses

Job type you want

Full Time

Part Time

Internship

Temporary

Best States For an Assistant Professor

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an assistant professor. The best states for people in this position are Hawaii, Oregon, Massachusetts, and New Mexico. Assistant professors make the most in Hawaii with an average salary of $114,102. Whereas in Oregon and Massachusetts, they would average $108,281 and $107,352, respectively. While assistant professors would only make an average of $105,889 in New Mexico, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Oregon

Total Assistant Professor Jobs: 383

Highest 10% Earn:

$173,000

Location Quotient:

1.82

$108,281

Avg. Salary

View 383 Assistant Professor Jobs In OR

2. Texas

Total Assistant Professor Jobs: 1,317

Highest 10% Earn:

$184,000

Location Quotient:

1.28

$100,269

Avg. Salary

View 1,317 Assistant Professor Jobs In TX

3. District of Columbia

Total Assistant Professor Jobs: 189

Highest 10% Earn:

$194,000

Location Quotient:

2.21

$109,200

Avg. Salary

View 189 Assistant Professor Jobs In DC

Full List Of Best States For Assistant Professors

How Do Assistant Professor Rate Their Jobs?

Top Assistant Professor Employers

Most Common Employers For Assistant Professor

Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
1	West Virginia University	$146,403	$70.39	963
2	New York University	$119,265	$57.34	733
3	University of Oklahoma	$118,233	$56.84	897
4	University of Pittsburgh	$117,555	$56.52	1,051
5	University of Washington	$117,443	$56.46	870
6	The University of Alabama	$114,301	$54.95	780
7	Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr.	$113,432	$54.53	859
8	University of Iowa Center for Advancement	$111,904	$53.80	794
9	University of California-Berkeley	$111,347	$53.53	1,228
10	University of North Carolina	$109,978	$52.87	866

Assistant Professor Videos

Day in the Life of a FAMU Professor

True Life: I'm a College Professor

Becoming an Assistant Professor FAQs

Do Professors' Assistants Get Paid?

Yes, professor's assistants get paid for their work in several different ways. Assistant professors, unlike TAs, are employed by the college or university and receive a traditional salary.

Do You Need A Ph.d. To Be An Assistant Professor?

Yes, you need a Ph.D. to be an assistant professor. The ranking of professorship positions can be complicated, but there are specific reasons for each level and the education required. An assistant professor represents the first stage or level of a professorship at a college or university.

What Is The Difference Between A Professor And An Assistant Professor?

The difference between a professor and an assistant professor lies primarily in their status and salary. While some of the professorial duties are similar, there are several significant differences between the two positions.

Why Are They Called "Assistant Professors"?

They are called "assistant professors" to indicate their beginning level or status at a college or university. While all professors share some duties and responsibilities, there is a strict hierarchy indicated by the type of professor one is identified as.

Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.

Search For Assistant Professor Jobs

Updated February 6, 2023

What is an Assistant Professor?

What Does an Assistant Professor Do

How To Become an Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor Career Paths

Top Careers Before Assistant Professor

Top Careers After Assistant Professor

Recent Job Searches

Average Salary for an Assistant Professor

Roles and Types of Assistant Professor

Adjunct Professor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Faculty

States With The Most Assistant Professor Jobs

Number Of Assistant Professor Jobs By State

Assistant Professor Education

Assistant Professor Majors

Assistant Professor Degrees

Top Colleges for Assistant Professors

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3. Ohio State University

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

5. University of Southern California

6. University of Washington

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

8. University of Pennsylvania

9. New York University

10. University of Florida

Top Skills For an Assistant Professor

Choose From 10+ Customizable Assistant Professor Resume templates

Assistant Professor Demographics

Assistant Professor Gender Distribution

Online Courses For Assistant Professor That You May Like

Best States For an Assistant Professor

How Do Assistant Professor Rate Their Jobs?

Top Assistant Professor Employers

Most Common Employers For Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor Videos

Becoming an Assistant Professor FAQs

Do Professors' Assistants Get Paid?

Do You Need A Ph.d. To Be An Assistant Professor?

What Is The Difference Between A Professor And An Assistant Professor?

Why Are They Called "Assistant Professors"?

Search For Assistant Professor Jobs

Assistant Professor Related Careers

Assistant Professor Related Jobs

Assistant Professor Jobs By Location

Assistant Professor Jobs By Company