College professor demographics and statistics in the US
College professor demographics research summary. Zippia estimates college professor demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our college professor estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about college professors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 130,377 college professors currently employed in the United States.
- 49.8% of all college professors are women, while 50.2% are men.
- The average college professor age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of college professors is White (66.3%), followed by Asian (11.3%), Hispanic or Latino (10.1%) and Black or African American (7.1%).
- In 2022, women earned 94% of what men earned.
- 16% of all college professors are LGBT.
- College professors are 84% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
College professor demographics by:
College professor gender statistics
49.8% of college professors are women and 50.2% of college professors are men.
- Male, 50.2%
- Female, 49.8%
College professor gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 50.2% |
| Female | 49.8% |
College professor gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$72,074
Female income
$67,508
College professor gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in college professor positions over time. Currently, 49.8% of college professors are female.
College professor gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 50.80% | 49.20% |
| 2011 | 51.33% | 48.67% |
| 2012 | 51.00% | 49.00% |
| 2013 | 50.56% | 49.44% |
| 2014 | 49.44% | 50.56% |
| 2015 | 50.28% | 49.72% |
| 2016 | 49.94% | 50.06% |
| 2017 | 50.53% | 49.47% |
| 2018 | 49.95% | 50.05% |
| 2019 | 49.52% | 50.48% |
| 2020 | 48.87% | 51.13% |
| 2021 | 50.17% | 49.83% |
College professor related jobs gender ratio
We compared college professors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, hvac/r instructor and assistant professor of air conditioning and refrigeration have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetics Instructor | 8% | 92% |
| Cosmetology Instructor | 9% | 91% |
| Adjunct Nursing Faculty | 9% | 91% |
| College Professor | 50% | 50% |
| Diesel Technology Instructor | 97% | 3% |
| Assistant Professor Of Air Conditioning And Refrigeration | 97% | 3% |
| Hvac/R Instructor | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
College professor demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among college professors is White, which makes up 66.3% of all college professors. Comparatively, 11.3% of college professors are Asian and 10.1% of college professors are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 66.3%
- Asian, 11.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 10.1%
- Black or African American, 7.1%
- Unknown, 4.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
College professor race
| College professor race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 66.3% |
| Asian | 11.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.1% |
| Black or African American | 7.1% |
| Unknown | 4.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
College professor race and ethnicity over time
See how college professor racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
College professor race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 72.76% | 7.22% | 9.22% | 8.22% |
| 2011 | 72.46% | 7.06% | 9.94% | 7.97% |
| 2012 | 72.05% | 7.36% | 9.81% | 8.22% |
| 2013 | 71.18% | 7.72% | 10.10% | 8.47% |
| 2014 | 71.27% | 7.34% | 9.77% | 8.85% |
| 2015 | 69.72% | 7.57% | 10.72% | 9.14% |
| 2016 | 70.22% | 7.49% | 10.44% | 9.04% |
| 2017 | 69.29% | 7.24% | 11.61% | 9.09% |
| 2018 | 71.08% | 6.98% | 9.93% | 9.28% |
| 2019 | 69.41% | 7.25% | 10.87% | 9.81% |
| 2020 | 67.49% | 6.95% | 10.51% | 9.96% |
| 2021 | 66.33% | 7.07% | 11.31% | 10.08% |
College professor wage gap by race
According to our data, asian college professors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american college professors have the lowest average salary at $70,202.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $71,489 |
| White | $71,633 |
| Black or African American | $70,202 |
| Asian | $75,006 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $72,125 |
Average college professor age
See how the average age of college professors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
College professor age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 49 | 45 |
| Unknown | 44.5 | 44 |
| Asian | 41 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 41 |
| White | 48 | 46 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 54 | 48 |
College professor age breakdown
The average age of college professors is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the college professor population.
College professor age breakdown
| College Professor Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
College professor educational attainment
The most common degree for college professors is bachelor's degree, with 46% of college professors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 33% and master's degree degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Master's, 33%
- Doctorate, 10%
- Associate, 8%
- Other Degrees, 3%
College professors by degree level
| College professor degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 46% |
| Master's | 33% |
| Doctorate | 10% |
| Associate | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
College professor jobs you might like
College professor wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $74,640 |
| Doctorate Degree | $102,174 |
College professor employment statistics
Most college professors work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where college professors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where college professors work.
College professor jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 11% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 27% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 23% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 29% |
| > 10,000 employees | 5% |
College professor jobs by company type
Employees with the college professor job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most college professors prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
College professor jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 84% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 12% |
| Government | 0% |
College professor jobs by industry
The most common industries for college professors are education, professional and health care.
College professor industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 82% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
College professor turnover and employment statistics
College professor unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for college professors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
College professor unemployment rate by year
| Year | College professor unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.13% |
| 2011 | 3.11% |
| 2012 | 3.14% |
| 2013 | 3.31% |
| 2014 | 2.86% |
| 2015 | 2.61% |
| 2016 | 2.42% |
| 2017 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | 2.40% |
| 2019 | 2.23% |
| 2020 | 2.58% |
| 2021 | 2.98% |
Average college professor tenure
The average college professor stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,026 college professors resumes in Zippia's database.
College professor tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 14% |
| 1-2 years | 26% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 22% |
College professor LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of college professors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Student Assistant | 6.04% | 20,764 |
| Music Teacher | 9.52% | 54,429 |
| Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 1,058 |
| Special Education Teacher | 11.12% | 67,699 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| College Professor | 15.52% | - |
| Curriculum Coordinator | 16.25% | 9,654 |
Similar college professor jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Student Assistant | 6.04% | 20,764 |
| Music Teacher | 9.52% | 54,429 |
| Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 1,058 |
| Special Education Teacher | 11.12% | 67,699 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Curriculum Coordinator | 16.25% | 9,654 |
Foreign languages spoken by college professors
The most common foreign language among college professors is Spanish at 50.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 11.0% and German is the third-most popular at 7.3%.
- Spanish, 50.0%
- French, 11.0%
- German, 7.3%
- Italian, 6.1%
- Portuguese, 3.7%
- Other, 21.9%
College professor languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 50.0% |
| French | 11.0% |
| German | 7.3% |
| Italian | 6.1% |
| Portuguese | 3.7% |
| Other | 21.9% |
