Best states for an instructor, faculty

Q: What is the best state for instructors, faculty?

The best state to be an instructor, faculty is California based on instructor, faculty salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for instructors, faculty?

The highest paying state for instructors, faculty is South Carolina based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for instructors, faculty?

The worst state for instructors, faculty is Idaho, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Dr. Carrie Kondor

Rank 1 - 10
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for instructors, faculty? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for instructor, faculty jobs.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for instructors, faculty. We found that California is the best state in the nation for instructors, faculty, and people in Monterey earn the most in the field.

We figured that the best places for instructor, faculty jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that California is the best state for instructor, faculty jobs, whereas Idaho is the worst.

10 best states for instructors, faculty in 2026

1. California
Total instructor, faculty jobs: 2,415
Average annual salary: $93,135
Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000
Location Quotient:
1.03
Instructor, faculty jobs in California
2. Oregon
Total instructor, faculty jobs: 492
Average annual salary: $66,998
Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000
Location Quotient:
1.48
Instructor, faculty jobs in Oregon
3. Alaska
Total instructor, faculty jobs: 149
Average annual salary: $66,434
Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000
Location Quotient:
2.22
Instructor, faculty jobs in Alaska
4. New Jersey
Total instructor, faculty jobs: 798
Average annual salary: $67,760
Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000
Location Quotient:
1.25
Instructor, faculty jobs in New Jersey
5. Massachusetts
Total instructor, faculty jobs: 586
Average annual salary: $74,481
Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000
Location Quotient:
0.79
Instructor, faculty jobs in Massachusetts
6. North Carolina
Total instructor, faculty jobs: 890
Average annual salary: $59,074
Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000
Location Quotient:
1.15
Instructor, faculty jobs in North Carolina
7. Iowa
Total instructor, faculty jobs: 287
Average annual salary: $59,530
Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000
Location Quotient:
0.98
Instructor, faculty jobs in Iowa
8. District of Columbia
Total instructor, faculty jobs: 166
Average annual salary: $66,663
Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000
Location Quotient:
1.23
Instructor, faculty jobs in District of Columbia
9. Texas
Total instructor, faculty jobs: 1,658
Average annual salary: $58,637
Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000
Location Quotient:
1.02
Instructor, faculty jobs in Texas
10. Wisconsin
Total instructor, faculty jobs: 341
Average annual salary: $61,516
Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000
Location Quotient:
0.77
Instructor, faculty jobs in Wisconsin

Instructor, faculty jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be an instructor, faculty

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for an instructor, faculty

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	California	$93,135	$57,000	39,536,653	2,415
2	Oregon	$66,998	$43,000	4,142,776	492
3	Alaska	$66,434	$49,000	739,795	149
4	New Jersey	$67,760	$42,000	9,005,644	798
5	Massachusetts	$74,481	$47,000	6,859,819	586
6	North Carolina	$59,074	$36,000	10,273,419	890
7	Iowa	$59,530	$40,000	3,145,711	287
8	District of Columbia	$66,663	$41,000	693,972	166
9	Texas	$58,637	$36,000	28,304,596	1,658
10	Wisconsin	$61,516	$40,000	5,795,483	341
11	Ohio	$58,336	$37,000	11,658,609	698
12	New York	$60,272	$37,000	19,849,399	1,583
13	Mississippi	$57,845	$36,000	2,984,100	156
14	Hawaii	$68,267	$49,000	1,427,538	59
15	North Dakota	$61,415	$42,000	755,393	45
16	Michigan	$55,909	$36,000	9,962,311	582
17	Virginia	$57,320	$35,000	8,470,020	1,376
18	Delaware	$61,172	$37,000	961,939	71
19	Washington	$62,803	$41,000	7,405,743	372
20	Colorado	$57,254	$39,000	5,607,154	891
21	Vermont	$55,451	$35,000	623,657	76
22	Wyoming	$54,860	$37,000	579,315	51
23	Minnesota	$59,575	$40,000	5,576,606	383
24	West Virginia	$53,065	$33,000	1,815,857	134
25	Indiana	$53,772	$35,000	6,666,818	562
26	Rhode Island	$56,185	$35,000	1,059,639	85
27	Kentucky	$52,137	$33,000	4,454,189	450
28	Nebraska	$55,248	$37,000	1,920,076	134
29	Montana	$50,854	$35,000	1,050,493	176
30	Alabama	$53,423	$33,000	4,874,747	275
31	New Hampshire	$54,827	$35,000	1,342,795	92
32	Utah	$53,118	$35,000	3,101,833	224
33	Nevada	$52,548	$33,000	2,998,039	152
34	Tennessee	$52,669	$33,000	6,715,984	342
35	Maryland	$53,214	$32,000	6,052,177	571
36	Pennsylvania	$50,709	$31,000	12,805,537	845
37	Missouri	$53,585	$35,000	6,113,532	338
38	New Mexico	$51,938	$33,000	2,088,070	131
39	Connecticut	$54,725	$34,000	3,588,184	148
40	Maine	$52,191	$33,000	1,335,907	67
41	South Dakota	$49,533	$34,000	869,666	59
42	South Carolina	$43,170	$26,000	5,024,369	557
43	Georgia	$47,908	$30,000	10,429,379	853
44	Florida	$49,793	$30,000	20,984,400	999
45	Arkansas	$50,529	$32,000	3,004,279	64
46	Louisiana	$47,304	$29,000	4,684,333	234
47	Arizona	$49,271	$31,000	7,016,270	341
48	Oklahoma	$47,762	$31,000	3,930,864	132
49	Kansas	$46,693	$31,000	2,913,123	125
50	Illinois	$45,627	$30,000	12,802,023	705
51	Idaho	$46,034	$30,000	1,716,943	58

Highest paying states for instructors, faculty

Rank	State	Avg. Instructor, Faculty Salary
1	California	$93,135
2	Oregon	$66,998
3	Alaska	$66,434
4	New Jersey	$67,760
5	Massachusetts	$74,481
6	North Carolina	$59,074
7	Iowa	$59,530
8	District of Columbia	$66,663
9	Texas	$58,637
10	Wisconsin	$61,516
11	Ohio	$58,336
12	New York	$60,272
13	Mississippi	$57,845
14	Hawaii	$68,267
15	North Dakota	$61,415
16	Michigan	$55,909
17	Virginia	$57,320
18	Delaware	$61,172
19	Washington	$62,803
20	Colorado	$57,254
21	Vermont	$55,451
22	Wyoming	$54,860
23	Minnesota	$59,575
24	West Virginia	$53,065
25	Indiana	$53,772
26	Rhode Island	$56,185
27	Kentucky	$52,137
28	Nebraska	$55,248
29	Montana	$50,854
30	Alabama	$53,423
31	New Hampshire	$54,827
32	Utah	$53,118
33	Nevada	$52,548
34	Tennessee	$52,669
35	Maryland	$53,214
36	Pennsylvania	$50,709
37	Missouri	$53,585
38	New Mexico	$51,938
39	Connecticut	$54,725
40	Maine	$52,191
41	South Dakota	$49,533
42	South Carolina	$43,170
43	Georgia	$47,908
44	Florida	$49,793
45	Arkansas	$50,529
46	Louisiana	$47,304
47	Arizona	$49,271
48	Oklahoma	$47,762
49	Kansas	$46,693
50	Illinois	$45,627
51	Idaho	$46,034

Expert opinions on the best states for instructors, faculty

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for instructor, facultys 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!

Instructor, faculty best states FAQs

What is the best state for instructors, faculty?

What is the highest paying state for instructors, faculty?

What is the worst state for instructors, faculty?

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Best states for Instructors, Faculty

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs

Total instructor, faculty jobs:	2,415
Average annual salary:	$93,135
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$57,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$150,000
Location Quotient:	1.03

Best states for an instructor, faculty

10 best states for instructors, faculty in 2026

1. California

2. Oregon

3. Alaska

4. New Jersey

5. Massachusetts

6. North Carolina

7. Iowa

8. District of Columbia

9. Texas

10. Wisconsin