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Best states for an assistant professor
Quoted expert
Wallace Meyer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
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- 41 - 51
Are you thinking of becoming an assistant professor and really want to work at State University of New York College at Cortland? Turns out, your chances to become an assistant professor are better in some states than others.Although there are abundant assistant professor jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. Oregon is the best state in the country for assistant professor jobs.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for assistant professors.If you are currently seeking employment as an assistant professor, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for assistant professors in 2025
1. Oregon
Total assistant professor jobs: 383 Average annual salary: $108,281 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.82
2. Texas
Total assistant professor jobs: 1,317 Average annual salary: $100,269 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
3. District of Columbia
Total assistant professor jobs: 189 Average annual salary: $109,200 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $194,000 Location Quotient: 2.21
4. New Mexico
Total assistant professor jobs: 80 Average annual salary: $105,889 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
5. Alaska
Total assistant professor jobs: 91 Average annual salary: $105,431 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 2.14
6. Louisiana
Total assistant professor jobs: 203 Average annual salary: $97,274 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
7. New York
Total assistant professor jobs: 1,346 Average annual salary: $100,425 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 2.06
8. Maryland
Total assistant professor jobs: 380 Average annual salary: $102,860 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
9. Massachusetts
Total assistant professor jobs: 367 Average annual salary: $107,352 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
10. New Jersey
Total assistant professor jobs: 483 Average annual salary: $100,274 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
Assistant professor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an assistant professor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an assistant professor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $108,281 | $67,000 | 4,142,776 | 383 |
| 2 | Texas | $100,269 | $54,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,317 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $109,200 | $61,000 | 693,972 | 189 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $105,889 | $59,000 | 2,088,070 | 80 |
| 5 | Alaska | $105,431 | $71,000 | 739,795 | 91 |
| 6 | Louisiana | $97,274 | $51,000 | 4,684,333 | 203 |
| 7 | New York | $100,425 | $57,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,346 |
| 8 | Maryland | $102,860 | $57,000 | 6,052,177 | 380 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $107,352 | $64,000 | 6,859,819 | 367 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $100,274 | $57,000 | 9,005,644 | 483 |
| 11 | Utah | $98,813 | $57,000 | 3,101,833 | 160 |
| 12 | Ohio | $100,317 | $55,000 | 11,658,609 | 375 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $96,454 | $50,000 | 10,273,419 | 474 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $92,363 | $48,000 | 2,984,100 | 150 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $92,509 | $51,000 | 12,805,537 | 647 |
| 16 | Nevada | $101,217 | $58,000 | 2,998,039 | 22 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $93,510 | $54,000 | 1,059,639 | 56 |
| 18 | Florida | $93,415 | $49,000 | 20,984,400 | 492 |
| 19 | Washington | $98,786 | $63,000 | 7,405,743 | 225 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $114,102 | $75,000 | 1,427,538 | 9 |
| 21 | Georgia | $90,490 | $46,000 | 10,429,379 | 367 |
| 22 | Virginia | $86,931 | $45,000 | 8,470,020 | 952 |
| 23 | Vermont | $84,744 | $51,000 | 623,657 | 64 |
| 24 | Colorado | $86,995 | $49,000 | 5,607,154 | 580 |
| 25 | Alabama | $81,865 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 248 |
| 26 | Indiana | $89,929 | $48,000 | 6,666,818 | 164 |
| 27 | Iowa | $81,830 | $45,000 | 3,145,711 | 203 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $93,354 | $54,000 | 3,588,184 | 78 |
| 29 | Delaware | $90,959 | $49,000 | 961,939 | 34 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $88,812 | $53,000 | 1,342,795 | 43 |
| 31 | California | $92,944 | $53,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,089 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $84,937 | $50,000 | 5,576,606 | 272 |
| 33 | Missouri | $85,100 | $45,000 | 6,113,532 | 222 |
| 34 | Arizona | $87,995 | $48,000 | 7,016,270 | 143 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $71,546 | $36,000 | 1,815,857 | 152 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $78,023 | $43,000 | 5,795,483 | 257 |
| 37 | Michigan | $75,818 | $41,000 | 9,962,311 | 332 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $68,713 | $34,000 | 4,454,189 | 397 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $75,141 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 122 |
| 40 | Montana | $64,359 | $41,000 | 1,050,493 | 114 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $79,920 | $50,000 | 755,393 | 19 |
| 42 | Illinois | $77,162 | $41,000 | 12,802,023 | 437 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $78,033 | $40,000 | 3,930,864 | 66 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $63,584 | $38,000 | 869,666 | 63 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $74,270 | $38,000 | 3,004,279 | 57 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $71,827 | $36,000 | 6,715,984 | 162 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $57,732 | $27,000 | 5,024,369 | 274 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $70,840 | $42,000 | 579,315 | 15 |
| 49 | Kansas | $72,582 | $38,000 | 2,913,123 | 78 |
| 50 | Maine | $62,485 | $38,000 | 1,335,907 | 51 |
| 51 | Idaho | $67,753 | $41,000 | 1,716,943 | 24 |
Highest paying states for assistant professors
| Rank | State | Avg. Assistant Professor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $108,281 |
| 2 | Texas | $100,269 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $109,200 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $105,889 |
| 5 | Alaska | $105,431 |
| 6 | Louisiana | $97,274 |
| 7 | New York | $100,425 |
| 8 | Maryland | $102,860 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $107,352 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $100,274 |
| 11 | Utah | $98,813 |
| 12 | Ohio | $100,317 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $96,454 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $92,363 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $92,509 |
| 16 | Nevada | $101,217 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $93,510 |
| 18 | Florida | $93,415 |
| 19 | Washington | $98,786 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $114,102 |
| 21 | Georgia | $90,490 |
| 22 | Virginia | $86,931 |
| 23 | Vermont | $84,744 |
| 24 | Colorado | $86,995 |
| 25 | Alabama | $81,865 |
| 26 | Indiana | $89,929 |
| 27 | Iowa | $81,830 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $93,354 |
| 29 | Delaware | $90,959 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $88,812 |
| 31 | California | $92,944 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $84,937 |
| 33 | Missouri | $85,100 |
| 34 | Arizona | $87,995 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $71,546 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $78,023 |
| 37 | Michigan | $75,818 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $68,713 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $75,141 |
| 40 | Montana | $64,359 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $79,920 |
| 42 | Illinois | $77,162 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $78,033 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $63,584 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $74,270 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $71,827 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $57,732 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $70,840 |
| 49 | Kansas | $72,582 |
| 50 | Maine | $62,485 |
| 51 | Idaho | $67,753 |
Expert opinions on the best states for assistant professors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for assistant professors to find work opportunities?
Wallace Meyer
Lecturer and Entrepreneurship Program Director, University of Kansas
The technology sectors will continue to provide robust employment opportunities, followed by health care and education (a combination of health care worker attrition and demand, and for education retirement and the increasing likelihood of some form of government subsidy of higher education will increase the demand for teachers). Startups will also rebound strongly to fill the void of the thousands of lost small and medium-sized businesses.
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Updated January 8, 2025