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Job outlook for college professors in the United States
College professor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected college professor job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 159,400 new jobs for college professors are projected over the next decade.
College professor salaries have increased 2% for college professors in the last 5 years.
There are over 130,377 college professors currently employed in the United States.
There are 27,390 active college professor job openings in the US.
The average college professor salary is $81,207.
Are college professor jobs in demand?
College professor job and salary trends over time
College professor jobs over time
College professor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 130,377 | 0.04% |
| 2020 | 133,075 | 0.04% |
| 2019 | 135,097 | 0.04% |
| 2018 | 133,989 | 0.04% |
| 2017 | 131,894 | 0.04% |
Average college professor salary over time
College professor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $81,207 | $39.04 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | $81,021 | $38.95 | --0.6% |
| 2023 | $81,522 | $39.19 | +4.5% |
| 2022 | $77,991 | $37.50 | --2.5% |
| 2021 | $79,995 | $38.46 | +5.1% |
College professor jobs by state
Most common states for college professors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 178 | 26% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 135 | 18% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 856 | 10% |
| 4 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 557 | 10% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 100 | 10% |
| 6 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 346 | 8% |
| 7 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 316 | 8% |
| 8 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 140 | 8% |
| 9 | Vermont | 623,657 | 53 | 8% |
| 10 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,405 | 7% |
| 11 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 457 | 7% |
| 12 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 514 | 6% |
| 13 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 364 | 6% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 188 | 6% |
| 15 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 113 | 6% |
| 16 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 51 | 6% |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 366 | 5% |
| 18 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 236 | 5% |
| 19 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 152 | 5% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 56 | 5% |
Most common cities for college professors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coral Gables | 1 | 2% | $70,986 |
College Professor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of college professor experts
Kean University
University of Oregon
North Carolina State University
Lehman College of the City University of New York
University of Maine
University of Arizona
Skidmore College
Ashford University
Point Loma Nazarene University
Skidmore College
Clemson University
Elmhurst University
Washington University in St Louis
Franklin and Marshall College
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
AGWA - American Grant Writers' Association, Inc.
Florida International University
Santa Clara University
What general advice would you give to a College Professor?
Alex Holte PhD: My advice for someone new to the field of academia is to learn time management skills early and learn what type of service work you find interesting and would like to contribute to. From there, learn how to say “no” to opportunities that may not align with your goals as well. I feel a lot of new professors tend to find the need to be involved in everything, which can result in burning out later in their career.
What College Professor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alex Holte PhD: I would say being able to work with AI may be something that is more important in the next 3-5 years. Right now it’s a new technology and people are just now learning how to integrate it in the workplace, but I feel it is possible the future workforce of tomorrow will necessitate some form of being able to use AI technology.
What will help College Professors increase their earning potential?
Alex Holte PhD: When you are starting out at any career, it is important to negotiate your salary. Many candidates feel that they have to accept their first offer, but in reality, at many jobs, there is some room for negotiation. Be mindful however, to not request a salary that is much higher than what is being offered as they may feel like a compromise would not be possible and move on to the next candidate.
What general advice would you give to a College Professor?
Mia Fiore Ph.D.: First, I would tell all students that it is VERY different from teaching k-12. Unlike K-12, you are not placed in a school with a teaching job upon graduation; teaching in higher education is one of the most competitive fields, period. The next difference is that you are expected to be an expert/ master of your field. If you're also willing to accept that you will likely have to work as an adjunct professor (for low pay) first, then go for it! Teaching in higher education is the most rewarding job, especially for people who love learning.
What College Professor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mia Fiore Ph.D.: Awareness and familiarity with technology has become more important, and it will continue to be more important in the next 3-5 years. With everything from peer-reviewed journals available online, to AI, technology is an important part of higher education.
What will help College Professors increase their earning potential?
Mia Fiore Ph.D.: Maximize your salary potential by teaching at a state school- if you do you can join the PSLF program and after ten years, your student loans will be forgiven.
Mary Wood
Professor of EnglishUniversity of Oregon
English Language And Literature
What general advice would you give to a College Professor?
Mary Wood: It depends on what level the teacher is at (college level or K-12 and if K-12 do you mean elementary, middle, or high school), whether they're in public or private education, etc. Those who wish to become K-12 English teachers would take some literature classes in our department but would do most of their teacher training in the School of Education.
What general advice would you give to a College Professor?
Justin Whitehill Ph.D.: Perseverance pays off. Its worth it to pursue the career you want and not settle and be unhappy.
What College Professor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Justin Whitehill Ph.D.: In the area of genetics and genomics, the identification of areas of the genome that can be CRISPR’d and used to add an immediate benefit is going to be very important as every cropping system races to make genome editing a reality. AI will likely play a huge role in predicting genes/regions of the genome that will provide the biggest benefits.
What will help College Professors increase their earning potential?
Justin Whitehill Ph.D.: I wouldn’t know, I’m a professor.
Julie Maybee
Professor of PhilosophyLehman College of the City University of New York
Philosophy
What general advice would you give to a College Professor?
Julie Maybee: It is a myth that a degree with a major in philosophy cannot help graduates get jobs or do well in the job market over the course of their careers. My advice to graduates would be to be prepared to have to learn some job-specific skills as they move forward in their careers, but to feel confident that their study of philosophy has prepared them with important skills they'll need: critical and analytical thinking, being able to think creatively and be resilient and agile in response to problems, curiosity, communication skills, and skills for reading complex texts.
What will help College Professors increase their earning potential?
Julie Maybee: Although the median salary for a philosophy graduate when starting out may be lower, after 10 years, the median salary increases significantly. Philosophy graduates may need to be patient, but the skills they learn in philosophy will help them learn on the job and move up the ranks over time.
Jane Kuandre
Associate ProfessorWhat general advice would you give to a College Professor?
Jane Kuandre: My advice for someone looking to pursue a career in academia would be to focus on building a strong publication record, developing a network of collaborators, and continuously seeking opportunities for professional development.
What College Professor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jane Kuandre: Some essential skills for success in academia include critical thinking, effective communication, time management, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
What will help College Professors increase their earning potential?
Jane Kuandre: Networking is crucial for career advancement in academia as it allows individuals to establish collaborations, gain access to resources, and stay updated on the latest research trends.
Dr. Elizabeth Neiman
Director of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies ProgramUniversity of Maine
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to a College Professor?
Dr. Elizabeth Neiman: Students interested in enhancing their program of study with a WGS minor just 3 additional courses to take in WGS so as to complete a minor. Nursing students who have taken advantage of this opportunity report to me that they are excited about the perspectives that WGS studies provides them and that they feel more prepared than ever to begin a career in Nursing.
What College Professor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Elizabeth Neiman: I can reflect better on how I'd guide students to think about the work they do at UMaine in Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies so as to prepare for potential careers.
What will help College Professors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Elizabeth Neiman: Rather than answer your questions, I'll give you some background information: Since becoming Director of the Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies program at UMaine in fall 2022, I have been doing a great deal of outreach to faculty in other departments across the university.
What College Professor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Dennis Wise Professor Practice: The major benefit of the profession is flexibility of hours. Even for someone contracted for 40 hours a week of teaching, only about 12-15 of those hours are spent in the classroom – the grading and lesson prepping one can do anytime, anywhere. Likewise, working with the students is often increasingly rewarding. At the same time, burn-out from overwork and increasingly poor labor conditions is increasingly common, and our profession receives very poor compensation given the level of education professors are required to have.
Aurelie Matheron
Assistant Professor of FrenchSkidmore College
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What general advice would you give to a College Professor?
Aurelie Matheron: Present yourself as a professional in your cover letter and interviews. The people who interview you will look at you as a future colleague and not a student. Use the past “I” to show what the future “I” will do. Meaning: in your interviews, say “I have developed X courses/projects and I have acquired X skills useful for a collaborative project at your institution. For instance, one project I will develop is XYZ.” You show your experience/expertise and how you will be using your skills. Don’t dwell too much on the “past I” and, I’d say, don’t use the past “we” => “at my former institution, we would do X or Z.” => this shows that you still view yourself as part of that community and don’t project yourself at your new institution. Once you have the job: observe the dynamics of your new work place. Meet with colleagues who also recently got a job at your institution. They will help you navigate the first year.
What College Professor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Aurelie Matheron: Leadership: you will be in positions of leading a program/department. Learn from current chairs by observing their own skills during meetings and moments of decision. Collaboration: develop interpersonal and interprofessional relationships that will allow you to build collaborative projects (interdepartmental courses, for instance).
What will help College Professors increase their earning potential?
Aurelie Matheron: Do some research online about how much someone earns at your stage of the career. If there is a significant gap, point out (diplomatically) that, because of your extensive experience in XYZ, you would like to get a X% increase in your salary. Be reasonable: if you want a 3% increase, ask for 5% (not 10% or more). Justify your negotiation: why should they pay me more? What experience can I show them to justify my request? If you have a higher offer from another place, you can say that “I have received another generous offer and would like to know about the possibility for matching that offer.” Salary is not the only thing you can negotiate: office space, computer/laptop, sabbaticals, course release, etc. Again, be reasonable: if you think you are entitled to XYZ requests, you also have to show why.
Fabio Lanza
ProfessorAshford University
History
What general advice would you give to a College Professor?
Fabio Lanza: I tell them not to expect that they can achieve the same, old-style academic career (like mine, for example). A tenure-track job in a research university to be clear. Those jobs exist but they are becoming rarer and rarer. I also tell them that if they forecast incurring in serious (or even non-serious) debt in order to get a PhD, they should not do it. They should not pursue that path at all. In the program, they should take all the chances they have to learn new skills, including skills that don't seem directly related to an academic career.
What College Professor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Fabio Lanza: To put it bluntly, if you want to make money, this is really not the career for you.
What will help College Professors increase their earning potential?
Fabio Lanza: Difficult to say, given how quickly things change. Digital humanities was and still is fashionable and important. Public history (museum, exhibitions, outreach). And teaching.
Heather Ross
Associate Professor of PhilosophyPoint Loma Nazarene University
School of Theology and Christian Ministry
What general advice would you give to a College Professor?
Heather Ross: My initial thoughts are that philosophy provides a broad education and so many of our students go into a wide variety of fields. Philosophical education is explicitly concerned with the formation of the human being as a human being and so provides a motivation to care for the human condition itself. As a result, many of our students want to pursue professions related to explicit care and improvement of the world. So we have students who are going to law school, becoming educators, students going to medical school, making art and music, pursuing vocational ministry or are going into public health fields. Philosophy, at its core, enlivens that deep existential connection that we have to one another and to the world. It strengthens that sense of responsibility that we have to care for this life--other people, fellow creatures and the world.
What type of skills will young College Professors need?
Tillman W. Nechtman Ph.D.: When it comes to skills young graduates need, I will speak specifically to the field of History. It's always been the case that History Majors do well in the job market. Now, to be sure, there is the temptation to limit the scope of what jobs we imagine a historian can do. Career Service Offices sometimes think that History Majors teach, work in libraries, and archives, maybe a museum, and that is about it. The fact is that it's not uncommon to find CEO at Fortune 500 companies who were History Majors as undergraduates.
Presidents. Media personalities. Lawyers. Judges. You name it. History Majors are everywhere, and I think I know the reason. History Majors learn to take lots of data - and we're omnivorous about what we call data - and we synthesize it. We give it two frames. First, we weave it into a narrative form, a story, if you will. Second, we give that narrative analytical meaning. We offer a thesis or an argument about the content we're sharing. Those are vital skills. The ability to walk people through data and to help them understand your analysis of that material. What field wouldn't appreciate that set of capabilities? And, I think that explains why History Majors tend to do so well in a host of fields and professions. I don't foresee that that will change in the future.
Bo Clements
Lecturer of American Sign LanguageClemson University
Department of Languages
What experience really stands out on College Professor resumes?
Bo Clements: 1) teaching ASL included four parts: Educational background, Teaching background, Professional Development evidenced with hours, and Deaf Community Service. 2)Degrees (Must have MA or higher). 3) ASLPI score of 4 or higher, SLPI: ASL rating of Advanced Plus or higher or other proficiency interviews approved in the future. 4) List of courses you took to teach ASL - ASL Literature, ASL Linguistics, Deaf Culture/Deaf Community, Teaching Methods (ASL or Foreign Language), Assessment Tools, and Curriculum Development or Language Acquisition. Hold certification of American Sign Language Teachers Association, Inc. Also, show your expertise in using technology, such as the ZOOM platform, plus know how to edit a video, etc.
How do you envision technology impacting College Professors in the next 5 years?
Bo Clements: There will be changes nonstop that impact this field in the general classroom and outside of the school of social media during the next five years. Some say there will be an explosive booming for technology products and smart devices for video platforms for teaching jobs and video relay services and more ASL access between Deaf or Hearing to work with Deaf/Hearing clients.
More Deaf people work from home and some own businesses via ASL access through video relay services and using video conference platforms. We need an expansion of technology to provide training to educate doctors, nurses, administrations, lawyers, etc., learn how to use robotic mobility style with a monitor that shows a live interpreter to communicate with Deaf consumers on the spot. It costs a low rate compared to waiting for a community interpreter to come. We should have a choice, to request to have a robotic live interpreter or/and a community interpreter.
It is an excellent opportunity to create new jobs for ASL students to work with video phone corporations, wireless corporations, online and streaming innovations, and applications for smartphones and smart computers to bring out a better partnership with colleges/universities ASL programs and internships.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on College Professors?
Bo Clements: Pandemic during life after Graduation is very obviously tricky. Look at the unemployment rates. Millions of job positions are in a freeze. No jobs out there. A positive note that a student has a degree in American Sign Language with specialization in Interpretation Education & Training, Wireless Technology, or Development & Innovative of Social Media allows working from home to create thousands of online jobs - Teaching, Marketing, Engineering, Spectrum of Technology, and many more.
We cannot remove our masks, making it so difficult to communicate, as it's hard to read people's lips. That is the number 1 communication barrier for all of us. We cannot be close or touch each other in a public place, even at work, to communicate in person. That makes it so difficult to find jobs.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the College Professor job market given the pandemic?
Tim Engstrom: The pandemic has shifted consumer purchasing to eCommerce, increasing the labor demand in distribution and delivery. The current capacity to handle this shift is constrained, impacting the flow of goods and cost structures. Businesses diligently transform their traditional businesses to support this shift while analyzing if they will stay in the long term or convert back to conventional norms.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for College Professors in the next 3-5 years?
Tim Engstrom: Automation in processing orders in distribution centers, contactless shopping, and autonomous delivery vehicles. The constraints in the infrastructure and labor will drive this shift in processing the work.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for College Professors in the next 5 years?
Tim Engstrom: The pandemic has placed Supply Chain into everyday conversations with the general public due to product availability challenges. Improving product flow is challenging traditional supply chain solutions, increasing the demand for supply chain professions. It is a great time to be in the field of the supply chain.
What type of skills will young College Professors need?
Catherine Dunkin: A public relations career offers challenge, variety, and a unique chance to combine strategy and creativity to accomplish business objectives. Some critical competencies include:
Communication Skills:
- Writing
- Speaking and oral presentations
- Research
- Traditional and social media
- Active listening
- Relationship-building
- Speaking and oral presentations
Business Acumen:
- Critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making
- Time management and ability to prioritize/meet deadlines
- Adaptability
- Data gathering and analysis
- Strategic planning
- Awareness of the global impact
- Entrepreneurial and consulting approaches
Creativity and Design Skills:
- Graphic design and data visualization
- Ability to produce useful materials from documents to presentations to online blogs, newsletters, websites, etc.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for College Professors to find work opportunities?
Catherine Dunkin: Graduates who can combine healthy critical thinking and communication skills should find positions available nearly anywhere they would like to live and work. They will find growth areas in healthcare, management consulting, technology, and operations/supply chain.
Graduates have an opportunity to think carefully about and pursue rewarding careers in line with their personal goals, values, and geographical preferences. They may consider entrepreneurial start-ups, local nonprofits with compelling community missions, or larger management consulting firms and corporations offering global clients and projects exposure.
How do you envision technology impacting College Professors in the next 5 years?
Catherine Dunkin: Technology will continue to transform the public relations professional's job over the next five years. Today's professional will continue managing with a dramatically reduced number of traditional media outlets and an ever-increasing array of social media platforms, all with 24/7 deadline requirements.
To grow as leaders and trusted advisors to business executives, public relations professionals must continue to understand how to use data and technology in developing strategies, messages, and plans to engage sophisticated stakeholders. Technology will help measure results and show the impact of public relations efforts, which will continue to be critical in showing value and implications for their organizations.
How would you rate the starting salaries for College Professors, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Graduates in Religious Studies don't necessarily go into careers in religion. The standard career path for those involved is going to graduate school, spending several years getting a Ph.D., and facing a tough job market. Starting salaries can vary widely depending on the college or university.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the College Professor job market given the pandemic?
Allison Butler Ph.D.: Based on how things are going now, I would wager that the biggest trends in the job market will be an acceleration of what we saw before the pandemic: The need for increased flexibility in terms of work hours and work location and greater attention paid to access to and use of digital technology. I think we'll see an increased need for greater independence among staff teams; this might be a place where recent college grads will excel, as they will have had a few semesters of remote learning and will have managed an increased workload independently. On a lighter note, I wonder if the pandemic will end the need for a 3-piece suit?
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for College Professors in the next 3-5 years?
Allison Butler Ph.D.: Anything that allows for mobility and flexibility. Many of us are craving being back in our offices for the human connection, while we also see that the work can get done in a variety of different locations. I think a blend of human connection and digital flexibility will be a primary focus over the next few years.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for College Professors in the next 3-5 years?
John Porter Ph.D.: There is not a lot of technology required in grant writing. The most critical and prevalent skill in grant writing, which is lacking, is appropriately writing. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in abbreviation and slang. When put into a standard text, these expressions can become confusing.
The technology is that younger, individual writers may like to stay up on the most recent software and communication methods. Whereas funders, private, corporate, and government, tend not to keep up as fast and have older software versions. This means that the newest and glitziest software may not be compatible with the funder's software when submitting grant proposals and applications.
David Chang
Chairperson, Frost Professor of ArtFlorida International University
Department of Art and Art History
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for College Professors to find work opportunities?
David Chang: Miami is one of the best places to find work opportunities in visual arts and art education. It is an international center for the arts, e.g., Art Basel, Art Miami, Art Context, and many other high-profiled art events throughout the year. For the art education field, Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the fourth largest school district in the nation, and there is a continuous demand for our graduates.
What type of skills will young College Professors need?
Dr. Radhika Grover: Graduates entering the workforce will need strong critical thinking skills and the ability to wear multiple hats. For example, the data scientist may need to understand, or even work on, web programming. Job seekers will need strong programming skills in one or more of these programming languages - Python, Java, C, C++, and Javascript. Graduates should also consider getting a second degree in another field, such as bioengineering or electrical engineering, because the intersection of disciplines can provide new research and development opportunities. A student once asked me, "If machines can do everything we do and do it better, what will we do in the future?" Graduates have to be ready to refresh their skill sets periodically so that they are irreplaceable.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for College Professors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Radhika Grover: A review of job postings on popular job posting sites shows that many jobs are available for computer engineering graduates around the country. A computer engineer may also get the flexibility to work remotely. The COVID-19 pandemic has not as heavily impacted computer engineering jobs as jobs in other industries.
How do you envision technology impacting College Professors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Radhika Grover: The growth of cloud computing, machine learning, robotics, internet-of-things, and biotechnology will bring new opportunities for computer engineering graduates over the next five years.