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Best states for a philosophy instructor
Quoted expert
Dr. Dan Flory Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to philosophy instructor jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for philosophy instructor jobs.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for philosophy instructors. Oregon is the best state for philosophy instructors, where the median salary is $92,372.We found that the South is best for philosophy instructors, and the Northeast is the worst. Santa Rosa, CA is the best city in the country for philosophy instructor jobs, where as Oregon is the best state in the country.
10 best states for philosophy instructors in 2025
1. Oregon
Total philosophy instructor jobs: 277 Average annual salary: $92,372 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
2. California
Total philosophy instructor jobs: 1,669 Average annual salary: $105,576 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
3. New Jersey
Total philosophy instructor jobs: 467 Average annual salary: $82,960 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
4. Utah
Total philosophy instructor jobs: 128 Average annual salary: $81,346 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
5. Nevada
Total philosophy instructor jobs: 133 Average annual salary: $74,750 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
6. Vermont
Total philosophy instructor jobs: 30 Average annual salary: $79,019 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
7. Massachusetts
Total philosophy instructor jobs: 311 Average annual salary: $83,777 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 0.74
8. Connecticut
Total philosophy instructor jobs: 92 Average annual salary: $85,526 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 0.6
9. Rhode Island
Total philosophy instructor jobs: 46 Average annual salary: $76,290 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
10. Delaware
Total philosophy instructor jobs: 66 Average annual salary: $74,000 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
Philosophy instructor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a philosophy instructor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a philosophy instructor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $92,372 | $51,000 | 4,142,776 | 277 |
| 2 | California | $105,576 | $62,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,669 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $82,960 | $51,000 | 9,005,644 | 467 |
| 4 | Utah | $81,346 | $48,000 | 3,101,833 | 128 |
| 5 | Nevada | $74,750 | $43,000 | 2,998,039 | 133 |
| 6 | Vermont | $79,019 | $49,000 | 623,657 | 30 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $83,777 | $51,000 | 6,859,819 | 311 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $85,526 | $52,000 | 3,588,184 | 92 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $76,290 | $47,000 | 1,059,639 | 46 |
| 10 | Delaware | $74,000 | $45,000 | 961,939 | 66 |
| 11 | Michigan | $70,478 | $44,000 | 9,962,311 | 418 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $73,750 | $45,000 | 12,805,537 | 428 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $94,524 | $58,000 | 693,972 | 28 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $71,250 | $49,000 | 755,393 | 37 |
| 15 | Ohio | $70,676 | $44,000 | 11,658,609 | 378 |
| 16 | Florida | $70,324 | $43,000 | 20,984,400 | 706 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $74,163 | $46,000 | 1,342,795 | 59 |
| 18 | Illinois | $73,136 | $48,000 | 12,802,023 | 428 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $63,933 | $40,000 | 10,273,419 | 660 |
| 20 | Iowa | $64,928 | $43,000 | 3,145,711 | 161 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $67,154 | $42,000 | 1,815,857 | 55 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $61,542 | $39,000 | 5,024,369 | 385 |
| 23 | Indiana | $70,267 | $45,000 | 6,666,818 | 123 |
| 24 | Maine | $69,543 | $43,000 | 1,335,907 | 41 |
| 25 | Maryland | $67,853 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 281 |
| 26 | Idaho | $68,927 | $39,000 | 1,716,943 | 51 |
| 27 | Arizona | $66,164 | $39,000 | 7,016,270 | 223 |
| 28 | New York | $64,610 | $40,000 | 19,849,399 | 641 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $61,194 | $38,000 | 2,984,100 | 88 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $64,641 | $42,000 | 5,795,483 | 181 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $57,734 | $37,000 | 579,315 | 46 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $52,398 | $46,000 | 1,427,538 | 58 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $61,178 | $39,000 | 4,454,189 | 149 |
| 34 | Kansas | $64,317 | $41,000 | 2,913,123 | 98 |
| 35 | Washington | $69,550 | $37,000 | 7,405,743 | 234 |
| 36 | Texas | $58,189 | $35,000 | 28,304,596 | 852 |
| 37 | Colorado | $56,631 | $36,000 | 5,607,154 | 489 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $58,653 | $36,000 | 2,088,070 | 80 |
| 39 | Missouri | $63,255 | $41,000 | 6,113,532 | 146 |
| 40 | Alabama | $60,463 | $38,000 | 4,874,747 | 144 |
| 41 | Virginia | $57,358 | $35,000 | 8,470,020 | 598 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $57,245 | $35,000 | 4,684,333 | 132 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $60,178 | $40,000 | 5,576,606 | 236 |
| 44 | Montana | $54,062 | $33,000 | 1,050,493 | 79 |
| 45 | Georgia | $54,804 | $34,000 | 10,429,379 | 664 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $58,680 | $38,000 | 1,920,076 | 75 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $59,042 | $38,000 | 3,930,864 | 91 |
| 48 | Alaska | $49,105 | $28,000 | 739,795 | 51 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $52,655 | $33,000 | 6,715,984 | 232 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $52,348 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 38 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $54,600 | $35,000 | 3,004,279 | 36 |
Highest paying states for philosophy instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. Philosophy Instructor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $92,372 |
| 2 | California | $105,576 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $82,960 |
| 4 | Utah | $81,346 |
| 5 | Nevada | $74,750 |
| 6 | Vermont | $79,019 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $83,777 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $85,526 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $76,290 |
| 10 | Delaware | $74,000 |
| 11 | Michigan | $70,478 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $73,750 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $94,524 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $71,250 |
| 15 | Ohio | $70,676 |
| 16 | Florida | $70,324 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $74,163 |
| 18 | Illinois | $73,136 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $63,933 |
| 20 | Iowa | $64,928 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $67,154 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $61,542 |
| 23 | Indiana | $70,267 |
| 24 | Maine | $69,543 |
| 25 | Maryland | $67,853 |
| 26 | Idaho | $68,927 |
| 27 | Arizona | $66,164 |
| 28 | New York | $64,610 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $61,194 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $64,641 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $57,734 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $52,398 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $61,178 |
| 34 | Kansas | $64,317 |
| 35 | Washington | $69,550 |
| 36 | Texas | $58,189 |
| 37 | Colorado | $56,631 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $58,653 |
| 39 | Missouri | $63,255 |
| 40 | Alabama | $60,463 |
| 41 | Virginia | $57,358 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $57,245 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $60,178 |
| 44 | Montana | $54,062 |
| 45 | Georgia | $54,804 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $58,680 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $59,042 |
| 48 | Alaska | $49,105 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $52,655 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $52,348 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $54,600 |
Expert opinions on the best states for philosophy instructors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for philosophy instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Dan Flory Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy, Montana State University
Philosophy isn't generally geographically confined, as the skills graduates learn are very broadly applicable. But comprehensively, students with grad degrees in philosophy would probably be more appreciated in cities where companies and businesses exist that would understand the skills of new workers, who can learn tasks they've never done before quickly, and have the abilities to analyze, research, write, and think in new ways.
Philosophy instructor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025