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Faculty salary

Quoted expert
David McMahan Ph.D.

Average faculty salary

$80,405

$38.66 hourly rate

Entry-level faculty salary
$42,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Faculty Salaries

The average salary for faculty members varies across different states and institutions. As of October 2025, the average faculty salary is $80,405 per year. However, this number can shift based on numerous factors such as geographical location, specific academic discipline, and years of experience.

Where Faculty Earn More

States like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for quality education. In addition, urban areas tend to provide better compensation compared to rural locations. Faculty members with specialized skills or those in high-demand fields, such as STEM, may also command higher salaries.

Salary Variations by Experience

Experience plays a critical role in salary determination. Entry-level faculty typically earn less than their more experienced counterparts. Over time, faculty can expect their salaries to increase, reflecting their contributions and expertise.

Conclusion

For those considering a career in academia, understanding the dynamics of faculty salaries is essential. By evaluating potential earnings based on location, experience, and discipline, candidates can make informed decisions that align with their career aspirations.

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Where can a Faculty earn more?

Compare salary by location
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149k
129k
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89k
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49k
29k
Columbus, OH$120,063
Atlanta, GA$59,297
Compare salary by company
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School of Visual Concepts$270,125
St. Francis Medical Center$183,239

Average faculty salary by state

The highest-paying states for faculties are California, New Jersey, and New York. The lowest average faculty salary states are Mississippi, West Virginia, and Minnesota.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for faculties

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1District of Columbia$113,395$54.52
2New Jersey$106,855$51.37
3New York$98,549$47.38
4Oregon$83,180$39.99
5California$108,622$52.22
6Rhode Island$83,962$40.37
7Alabama$82,192$39.52
8Pennsylvania$79,402$38.17
9Virginia$77,790$37.40
10Michigan$80,857$38.87
11Vermont$78,196$37.59
12Massachusetts$84,581$40.66
13Connecticut$92,720$44.58
14Kansas$85,958$41.33
15Ohio$73,931$35.54
16Maryland$77,338$37.18
17Montana$68,020$32.70
18Louisiana$69,358$33.35
19Alaska$64,551$31.03
20Missouri$71,710$34.48
21New Mexico$71,614$34.43
22Indiana$62,991$30.28
23New Hampshire$74,518$35.83
24Idaho$75,913$36.50
25North Dakota$72,460$34.84
26Arizona$71,773$34.51
27Maine$68,790$33.07
28North Carolina$64,381$30.95
29Kentucky$58,006$27.89
30South Carolina$59,946$28.82
31South Dakota$63,413$30.49
32Washington$70,210$33.75
33Hawaii$77,826$37.42
34Iowa$59,906$28.80
35Wisconsin$63,718$30.63
36Utah$59,008$28.37
37Florida$63,791$30.67
38Colorado$54,978$26.43
39Georgia$59,931$28.81
40Illinois$61,686$29.66
41Nebraska$56,340$27.09
42Mississippi$49,979$24.03
43West Virginia$49,158$23.63
44Tennessee$55,020$26.45
45Nevada$58,120$27.94
46Texas$44,094$21.20
47Minnesota$47,642$22.90
48Delaware$55,585$26.72
49Arkansas$51,342$24.68
50Wyoming$41,134$19.78
51Oklahoma$44,999$21.63

Highest paying cities for faculties

The highest-paying cities for faculties are Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, and New York, NY.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Washington, DC$120,063$57.72
2San Francisco, CA$118,836$57.13
3New York, NY$100,690$48.41
4Springfield, MA$85,198$40.96
5Albany, OR$83,737$40.26
6Detroit, MI$81,859$39.36
7Philadelphia, PA$80,490$38.70
8Virginia Beach, VA$79,216$38.08
9Baltimore, MD$77,631$37.32
10Columbus, OH$73,159$35.17
11Phoenix, AZ$72,355$34.79
12Columbia, MO$72,035$34.63
13Bellingham, WA$70,432$33.86
14Bozeman, MT$67,832$32.61
15Miami, FL$64,560$31.04
16Madison, WI$62,437$30.02
17Chicago, IL$62,119$29.86
18Charlotte, NC$61,480$29.56
19Columbia, SC$59,867$28.78
20Atlanta, GA$59,297$28.51

Faculties are the most in-demand in these five cities:

  1. Washington, DC
  2. San Francisco, CA
  3. New York, NY
  4. Springfield, MA
  5. Albany, OR

Faculty salary details

A faculty's salary ranges from $42,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $152,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average faculty salary graph
Average faculty salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a faculty's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$152,000$12,667$73
75th Percentile$112,000$9,333$54
Average$80,405$6,700$39
25th Percentile$57,000$4,750$27
10th Percentile$42,000$3,500$20

Highest paying faculty jobs

The highest paying types of faculties are professor, visiting professor, and associate professor.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Professor$157,570$13,131$75.7521,861
Visiting Professor$116,217$9,685$55.8727,139
Social Studies Teacher$49,725$4,144$23.9194,087
College Instructor$50,584$4,215$24.3241,053
Adjunct Professor$98,821$8,235$47.5122,488
Course Instructor$49,389$4,116$23.7428,255

How would you rate the starting salaries for facultys, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

David McMahan Ph.D.

Charles A. Dana Professor of Religious Studies, Franklin and Marshall College

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.

Which companies pay faculties the most?

Faculty salaries at School of Visual Concepts and Providence Health & Services are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average faculty salary at companies like Dignity Health and Piedmont Healthcare are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1School of Visual Concepts$270,125$129.87
2Providence Health & Services$258,633$124.34
3Dignity Health$253,846$122.04
4Piedmont Healthcare$252,139$121.22
5Beaumont Health$236,109$113.51
6OSF HealthCare$234,941$112.95
7Mercy Health$218,762$105.17
8University of Maryland, Baltimore$213,350$102.57
9Connecticut Children's Medical Center$210,726$101.31
10CHRISTUS Health$209,497$100.72
11AdventHealth$203,173$97.68
12Baptist Health$199,583$95.95
13Ardent Health Services$195,688$94.08
14UnityPoint Health$192,537$92.57
15Geisinger Medical Center$192,125$92.37
16NYU Lutheran Medical Center$188,928$90.83
17Trinity Health$186,301$89.57
18Lakeland Regional Health$184,214$88.56
19Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego$183,578$88.26
20St. Francis Medical Center$183,239$88.10

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$73,000$72,000$71,000$70,000$69,000$68,000
MaleFemale

Faculty salary trends

The average faculty salary has risen by $8,537 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average faculty earned $71,868 annually, but today, they earn $80,405 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for faculties over the last decade.

Compare faculty salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average faculty salary over time

Compare faculty salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Faculty salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$80,400$38.66+4.1%
2025$77,100$37.06+4.8%
2024$73,400$35.28+1.8%
2023$72,100$34.64+0.1%
2022$72,000$34.60+2.2%

Recently added faculty salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
University of ArkansasWelding FacultyNorth Little Rock, AR06/30/2025$42,000
Nu TechnologyFaculty, Electrical and Computer EngineeringSan Diego, CA06/30/2025$55,577
Nu TechnologyFaculty, Microeconomics and MacroeconomicsYuma, AZ06/30/2025$55,577
Northwest Arkansas Community CollegeFaculty, Certified Retail Analyst (CRA)Benton, AR06/30/2025$29,700
Minnesota StateAccounting FacultyRochester, NY06/30/2025$43,067
Westcliff UniversityFaculty-College of BusinessIone, CA06/30/2025$70,000
Palo Alto UniversityFaculty-Non-Tenure Track (Scholar Educator)Palo Alto, CA06/29/2025$114,000
Massachusetts College of Art and DesignTenure-Track Faculty History of ART: African Diasporas, Indigenous Peoples of The Americas, IslamicBoston, MA06/29/2025$66,000
Adtalem Global Education Inc.Fundamentals Clinical FacultyColumbia, SC06/28/2025$58,436
University of Illinois at ChicagoFaculty Open Rank (NON-Tenure Track)-Restorative Dentistry-College of DentistryChicago, IL06/28/2025$60,000

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