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Best states for a college instructor
Quoted expert
Dr. Carrie Kondor
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to college instructor jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for college instructors. We found that Alaska is the best state in the nation for college instructors, and people in Windsor earn the most in the field.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for college instructors. Alaska is the best state for college instructors, where the median salary is $65,596.We found that Alaska is the best state for college instructor jobs, whereas Idaho is the worst.
10 best states for college instructors in 2025
1. Alaska
Total college instructor jobs: 108 Average annual salary: $65,596 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 1.6
2. California
Total college instructor jobs: 2,363 Average annual salary: $75,348 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1
3. Oregon
Total college instructor jobs: 481 Average annual salary: $62,257 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
4. Michigan
Total college instructor jobs: 622 Average annual salary: $58,427 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
5. Massachusetts
Total college instructor jobs: 594 Average annual salary: $67,927 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
6. New Jersey
Total college instructor jobs: 869 Average annual salary: $57,082 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
7. North Carolina
Total college instructor jobs: 865 Average annual salary: $53,721 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
8. Iowa
Total college instructor jobs: 274 Average annual salary: $55,326 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
9. Minnesota
Total college instructor jobs: 365 Average annual salary: $61,505 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 0.68
10. Pennsylvania
Total college instructor jobs: 957 Average annual salary: $51,990 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
College instructor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a college instructor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a college instructor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $65,596 | $46,000 | 739,795 | 108 |
| 2 | California | $75,348 | $47,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,363 |
| 3 | Oregon | $62,257 | $40,000 | 4,142,776 | 481 |
| 4 | Michigan | $58,427 | $39,000 | 9,962,311 | 622 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $67,927 | $43,000 | 6,859,819 | 594 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $57,082 | $37,000 | 9,005,644 | 869 |
| 7 | North Carolina | $53,721 | $35,000 | 10,273,419 | 865 |
| 8 | Iowa | $55,326 | $38,000 | 3,145,711 | 274 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $61,505 | $42,000 | 5,576,606 | 365 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $51,990 | $34,000 | 12,805,537 | 957 |
| 11 | Vermont | $53,300 | $34,000 | 623,657 | 75 |
| 12 | Washington | $62,748 | $40,000 | 7,405,743 | 374 |
| 13 | Colorado | $53,678 | $37,000 | 5,607,154 | 958 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $63,700 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 59 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $55,213 | $38,000 | 5,795,483 | 319 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $50,214 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 50 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $54,984 | $38,000 | 755,393 | 44 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $54,723 | $36,000 | 693,972 | 189 |
| 19 | Florida | $52,893 | $33,000 | 20,984,400 | 997 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $51,224 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 132 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $47,400 | $32,000 | 4,454,189 | 438 |
| 22 | Indiana | $48,586 | $33,000 | 6,666,818 | 527 |
| 23 | Maine | $51,186 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 72 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $50,186 | $32,000 | 1,059,639 | 87 |
| 25 | Alabama | $48,565 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 284 |
| 26 | New York | $49,698 | $32,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,629 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $51,184 | $33,000 | 1,342,795 | 90 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $48,214 | $32,000 | 6,715,984 | 337 |
| 29 | Utah | $47,898 | $32,000 | 3,101,833 | 254 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $45,497 | $30,000 | 1,815,857 | 153 |
| 31 | Texas | $47,073 | $30,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,860 |
| 32 | Delaware | $50,539 | $33,000 | 961,939 | 71 |
| 33 | Missouri | $49,217 | $33,000 | 6,113,532 | 328 |
| 34 | Montana | $45,752 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 157 |
| 35 | Virginia | $46,416 | $30,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,289 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $46,724 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 257 |
| 37 | Nevada | $46,855 | $30,000 | 2,998,039 | 143 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $47,067 | $31,000 | 2,088,070 | 126 |
| 39 | Kansas | $47,905 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 128 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $46,068 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 65 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $45,681 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 164 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $47,570 | $30,000 | 3,588,184 | 145 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $45,961 | $31,000 | 3,004,279 | 65 |
| 44 | Maryland | $43,870 | $29,000 | 6,052,177 | 569 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $38,097 | $25,000 | 5,024,369 | 533 |
| 46 | Georgia | $43,346 | $28,000 | 10,429,379 | 793 |
| 47 | Ohio | $42,081 | $28,000 | 11,658,609 | 637 |
| 48 | Arizona | $43,899 | $28,000 | 7,016,270 | 305 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $43,521 | $29,000 | 3,930,864 | 136 |
| 50 | Illinois | $41,461 | $28,000 | 12,802,023 | 656 |
| 51 | Idaho | $41,461 | $27,000 | 1,716,943 | 58 |
Highest paying states for college instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. College Instructor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $65,596 |
| 2 | California | $75,348 |
| 3 | Oregon | $62,257 |
| 4 | Michigan | $58,427 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $67,927 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $57,082 |
| 7 | North Carolina | $53,721 |
| 8 | Iowa | $55,326 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $61,505 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $51,990 |
| 11 | Vermont | $53,300 |
| 12 | Washington | $62,748 |
| 13 | Colorado | $53,678 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $63,700 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $55,213 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $50,214 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $54,984 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $54,723 |
| 19 | Florida | $52,893 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $51,224 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $47,400 |
| 22 | Indiana | $48,586 |
| 23 | Maine | $51,186 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $50,186 |
| 25 | Alabama | $48,565 |
| 26 | New York | $49,698 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $51,184 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $48,214 |
| 29 | Utah | $47,898 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $45,497 |
| 31 | Texas | $47,073 |
| 32 | Delaware | $50,539 |
| 33 | Missouri | $49,217 |
| 34 | Montana | $45,752 |
| 35 | Virginia | $46,416 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $46,724 |
| 37 | Nevada | $46,855 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $47,067 |
| 39 | Kansas | $47,905 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $46,068 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $45,681 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $47,570 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $45,961 |
| 44 | Maryland | $43,870 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $38,097 |
| 46 | Georgia | $43,346 |
| 47 | Ohio | $42,081 |
| 48 | Arizona | $43,899 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $43,521 |
| 50 | Illinois | $41,461 |
| 51 | Idaho | $41,461 |
Expert opinions on the best states for college instructors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for college instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Carrie Kondor
Director, Linfield University
Still, I can say that I believe graduates will find more job possibilities than before, given the broader continuum of teaching environments that this pandemic has opened up!
College instructor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025