Kent State University salaries

Q: Is the pay good at Kent State University?

No, the pay is not good at Kent State University. Compared to the industry average of $42,555 per year, the average annual salary at Kent State University is $37,234, which is 12.50% lower.

Q: What is the starting pay at Kent State University?

The starting pay at Kent State University is $17,000 per year, or $8.17 per hour.

Q: How much does Kent State University pay an hour?

Kent State University pays $17.90 an hour, on average.

Zippia score 3.9

Kent State University salary estimate

$37,234yearly

$17.90 hourly rate

Entry-level salary

$17,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Kent State University Salaries

At Kent State University, salaries vary widely across different job roles and departments. The average salary is approximately $37,234 per year, but this figure masks significant disparities. High-paying positions include directors, whose average salary is $118,805, and adjunct faculty members earning about $94,601. On the lower end, student employees receive an average of $23,677.

Salaries by Department

Departmental differences are notable; the engineering department leads with an average salary of $59,815, while healthcare roles follow at $45,727. In contrast, hospitality and administrative positions average much lower, at $25,262 and $27,071, respectively. This variation reflects the market demand for specific skills and roles.

Comparative Insights

When compared to competitors, Kent State’s salaries are competitive but fall short of institutions like Stanford University, which boasts an average of $78,439. Understanding these salary dynamics can help prospective employees make informed career decisions and assess their earning potential within the university landscape.

Highest paying jobs at Kent State University

The highest paying jobs at Kent State University are director, adjunct faculty, adjunct professor, and senior software engineer. Director jobs at Kent State University earn an average yearly salary of $118,805, Kent State University adjunct faculty jobs average $94,601, and Kent State University adjunct professor jobs average $87,840.

The lowest paying Kent State University roles include student employee and student worker. Kent State University student employee average salary is $23,677 per year. So while the average Kent State University salary is $37,234 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Kent State University

Rank	Job title	Average Kent State University salary	Hourly rate
1	Director	$118,805	$57.12
2	Adjunct Faculty	$94,601	$45.48
3	Adjunct Professor	$87,840	$42.23
4	Senior Software Engineer	$73,387	$35.28
5	Equipment Manager	$69,318	$33.33
6	Assistant Professor	$67,823	$32.61
7	Web Application Developer	$63,459	$30.51
8	Senior Chemist	$61,423	$29.53
9	Applications Developer	$58,789	$28.26
10	Instructor	$58,225	$27.99
11	Graduate Clinician	$55,359	$26.61
12	Instructional Designer	$53,621	$25.78
13	Lecturer	$51,886	$24.95
14	Postdoctoral Research Associate	$50,281	$24.17
15	PHD Researcher	$50,232	$24.15
16	Research Fellow	$49,715	$23.90
17	Program Coordinator	$44,253	$21.28
18	Teacher	$44,134	$21.22
19	Graphic Designer	$41,233	$19.82
20	Teaching Fellow	$32,986	$15.86

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Kent State University salaries by department

Salaries at Kent State University vary depending on the department you work in. Kent State University salaries in the engineering department are the highest with an average salary of $59,815. Employees in the healthcare department at Kent State University receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $45,727 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Kent State University include the hospitality/service and the administrative organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $25,262 and $27,071, respectively.

Average Kent State University salary by department

Rank	Department	Average Kent State University salary	Hourly rate
1	Engineering	$59,815	$28.76
2	Healthcare	$45,727	$21.98
3	IT	$45,232	$21.75
4	Education	$44,526	$21.41
5	Sales	$40,088	$19.27
6	Research & Development	$39,572	$19.02
7	Art/Design	$38,131	$18.33
8	Marketing	$35,843	$17.23
9	Customer Service	$31,286	$15.04
10	Non Profit/Government	$29,666	$14.26
11	Facilities	$28,417	$13.66
12	Administrative	$27,071	$13.01
13	Hospitality/Service	$25,262	$12.15

How much does Kent State University pay by department?

Best paying Kent State University education salaries

Rank	Position	Average Kent State University salary	Hourly rate
1	Adjunct Professor	$87,840	$42.23
2	Assistant Professor	$67,823	$32.61
3	Faculty	$58,494	$28.12
4	Instructor	$58,225	$27.99
5	Strength And Conditioning Coach	$54,090	$26.00
6	Instructional Designer	$53,621	$25.78
7	Curriculum Developer	$53,435	$25.69
8	Lecturer	$51,886	$24.95
9	Intramural Supervisor	$46,138	$22.18
10	Student Success Counselor	$44,624	$21.45
11	Strength And Conditioning Internship	$44,404	$21.35
12	Teacher	$44,134	$21.22
13	Student Athlete	$40,701	$19.57
14	Health Educator	$38,167	$18.35
15	Academic Coach	$34,080	$16.38
16	Teaching Fellow	$32,986	$15.86
17	Tutor	$25,825	$12.42
18	Graduate Assistant	$25,505	$12.26
19	Peer Mentor	$24,593	$11.82

Best paying Kent State University research & development salaries

Rank	Position	Average Kent State University salary	Hourly rate
1	Senior Chemist	$61,423	$29.53
2	Doctoral Student	$51,728	$24.87
3	Doctoral Fellow	$51,375	$24.70
4	Postdoctoral Research Associate	$50,281	$24.17
5	PHD Researcher	$50,232	$24.15
6	Research Assistant	$39,686	$19.08
7	Laboratory Technician	$32,452	$15.60
8	Graduate Researcher	$29,152	$14.02
9	Laboratory Assistant	$26,849	$12.91

Best paying Kent State University administrative salaries

Rank	Position	Average Kent State University salary	Hourly rate
1	Office Manager	$38,274	$18.40
2	Administrative Assistant	$30,547	$14.69
3	Desk Receptionist	$29,791	$14.32
4	Guest Service Supervisor	$29,746	$14.30
5	Recording Technician	$29,684	$14.27
6	Data Entry Specialist	$28,890	$13.89
7	Secretary	$28,868	$13.88
8	Administrative Clerk	$27,665	$13.30
9	Data Entry Clerk	$27,512	$13.23
10	Clerical Specialist	$26,745	$12.86
11	Office Assistant	$26,689	$12.83
12	Facility Supervisor	$26,629	$12.80
13	Library Aide	$24,898	$11.97
14	Student Worker	$23,868	$11.48
15	Student Employee	$23,678	$11.38

Kent State University competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at Kent State University competitors, like Stanford University, Indiana University Bloomington, and University of Colorado Boulder, vary. Stanford University employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $78,439. The average salary at Indiana University Bloomington is $64,510 per year, and the average salary at University of Colorado Boulder is $50,128 per year.

Highest paying Kent State University competitors

Rank	Company name	Zippia score	Average salary
1	Stanford University	4.5	$78,439
2	Indiana University Bloomington	4.6	$64,510
3	University of Colorado Boulder	4.0	$50,128
4	Indiana University of Pennsylvania	4.2	$48,456
5	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	4.6	$46,880
6	University of Houston	4.1	$46,621
7	Missouri State University	3.7	$44,302
8	Southern Illinois University	4.3	$41,649
9	Lindenwood University	3.8	$40,456
10	Miami University	4.3	$40,383
11	Cleveland State University	4.4	$38,038
12	University of Memphis	4.1	$37,775
13	Illinois State University	4.0	$37,135
14	Marshall University	4.3	$37,119
15	Ball State University	4.2	$36,539
16	Bowling Green State University	3.9	$36,213
17	University of Arkansas	3.7	$34,407
18	Texas State Technical College	3.6	$32,071
19	Eastern Kentucky University	4.0	$31,217
20	Eastern Illinois University	3.9	$28,762

Recently added Kent State University salaries

Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Web Designer, University Communications & Marketing	Kent, OH	06/28/2025	$59,075
Financial Aid Counselor	Kent, OH	06/28/2025	$34,000
Sous Chef	Kent, OH	06/26/2025	$43,764
Senior Admissions Counselor	Kent, OH	06/26/2025	$43,000
Vehicle and Equipment Crew Leader	Kent, OH	06/26/2025	$50,005

What employees say about salary at Kent State University

Employee reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2023

Pros of working at Kent State University

The KSU Stark campus had a very positive & friendly work culture. Management was great. The benefits were fantastic. They supported healthy work life balance.

Cons of working at Kent State University

While job hunting I decided to apply for a security guard job with no experience. I got the job and was very happy with management, the benefits, & most other parts of my job except for how much downtime I had during my shift. I didn't realize how much of the job was going to be spent killing time and waiting for something to happen. It made the hours drag on.

Kent State University benefits

Health insurance

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How much does Kent State University pay an hour?

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Kent State University Salaries

Updated December 15, 2025

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Kent State University, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Kent State University. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Kent State University. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Kent State University. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Kent State University and its employees or that of Zippia.

Kent State University may also be known as or be related to Kent State and Kent State University.