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Best states for a professor
Quoted expert
Dr. Kathleen Hohenleitner
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for professors? 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 professor jobs.We wanted to look at the best states for professors -- where there are plenty of professor jobs to go around and professors get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
Alabama is the best state for jobs for professors, and Hawaii is the worst. The most common pay in Alabama is $162,175, while the median pay in Hawaii is $106,075.We found that Alabama is the best state for professor jobs, whereas Hawaii is the worst.
10 best states for professors in 2025
1. Alabama
Total professor jobs: 246 Average annual salary: $162,175 Lowest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $249,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
2. Mississippi
Total professor jobs: 160 Average annual salary: $158,105 Lowest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $245,000 Location Quotient: 1.87
3. Michigan
Total professor jobs: 348 Average annual salary: $161,286 Lowest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $245,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
4. Oregon
Total professor jobs: 418 Average annual salary: $159,500 Lowest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $241,000 Location Quotient: 2.5
5. California
Total professor jobs: 1,108 Average annual salary: $184,725 Lowest 10 percent earn: $127,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $266,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
6. Utah
Total professor jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $179,789 Lowest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $262,000 Location Quotient: 0
7. Massachusetts
Total professor jobs: 372 Average annual salary: $169,102 Lowest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $252,000 Location Quotient: 1
8. North Dakota
Total professor jobs: 25 Average annual salary: $166,261 Lowest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $248,000 Location Quotient: 0.67
9. District of Columbia
Total professor jobs: 135 Average annual salary: $170,189 Lowest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $255,000 Location Quotient: 1.99
10. Connecticut
Total professor jobs: 84 Average annual salary: $175,104 Lowest 10 percent earn: $118,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $258,000 Location Quotient: 0.63
Professor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a professor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a professor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | $162,175 | $105,000 | 4,874,747 | 246 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $158,105 | $101,000 | 2,984,100 | 160 |
| 3 | Michigan | $161,286 | $105,000 | 9,962,311 | 348 |
| 4 | Oregon | $159,500 | $105,000 | 4,142,776 | 418 |
| 5 | California | $184,725 | $127,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,108 |
| 6 | Utah | $179,789 | $123,000 | 3,101,833 | 0 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $169,102 | $113,000 | 6,859,819 | 372 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $166,261 | $111,000 | 755,393 | 25 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $170,189 | $113,000 | 693,972 | 135 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $175,104 | $118,000 | 3,588,184 | 84 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $155,201 | $99,000 | 10,273,419 | 499 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $157,242 | $101,000 | 2,088,070 | 88 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $160,897 | $104,000 | 3,930,864 | 75 |
| 14 | Maine | $156,784 | $102,000 | 1,335,907 | 58 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $157,978 | $103,000 | 5,576,606 | 279 |
| 16 | New York | $179,258 | $122,000 | 19,849,399 | 0 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $149,559 | $95,000 | 12,805,537 | 839 |
| 18 | Colorado | $153,528 | $99,000 | 5,607,154 | 588 |
| 19 | Texas | $158,884 | $102,000 | 28,304,596 | 0 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $148,799 | $93,000 | 4,684,333 | 205 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $152,406 | $97,000 | 3,004,279 | 63 |
| 22 | Indiana | $151,984 | $97,000 | 6,666,818 | 169 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $144,196 | $91,000 | 1,920,076 | 136 |
| 24 | Washington | $158,541 | $104,000 | 7,405,743 | 241 |
| 25 | Alaska | $148,230 | $98,000 | 739,795 | 63 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $139,849 | $87,000 | 4,454,189 | 250 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $136,285 | $84,000 | 1,815,857 | 157 |
| 28 | Nevada | $154,883 | $100,000 | 2,998,039 | 25 |
| 29 | Montana | $140,936 | $89,000 | 1,050,493 | 86 |
| 30 | Iowa | $137,685 | $86,000 | 3,145,711 | 201 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $140,543 | $88,000 | 9,005,644 | 567 |
| 32 | Arizona | $147,541 | $93,000 | 7,016,270 | 129 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $138,841 | $87,000 | 1,059,639 | 58 |
| 34 | Ohio | $136,153 | $84,000 | 11,658,609 | 396 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $138,639 | $87,000 | 579,315 | 19 |
| 36 | Maryland | $142,323 | $89,000 | 6,052,177 | 229 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $132,732 | $81,000 | 5,024,369 | 291 |
| 38 | Kansas | $138,292 | $86,000 | 2,913,123 | 85 |
| 39 | Georgia | $136,806 | $84,000 | 10,429,379 | 369 |
| 40 | Virginia | $133,009 | $81,000 | 8,470,020 | 816 |
| 41 | Missouri | $135,213 | $83,000 | 6,113,532 | 225 |
| 42 | Vermont | $121,660 | $74,000 | 623,657 | 82 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $133,861 | $83,000 | 869,666 | 0 |
| 44 | Delaware | $131,133 | $81,000 | 961,939 | 42 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $115,257 | $69,000 | 5,795,483 | 275 |
| 46 | Idaho | $132,414 | $83,000 | 1,716,943 | 33 |
| 47 | Florida | $125,167 | $73,000 | 20,984,400 | 504 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $127,349 | $77,000 | 6,715,984 | 0 |
| 49 | Illinois | $123,891 | $75,000 | 12,802,023 | 447 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $130,081 | $80,000 | 1,342,795 | 34 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $106,075 | $66,000 | 1,427,538 | 9 |
Highest paying states for professors
| Rank | State | Avg. Professor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | $162,175 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $158,105 |
| 3 | Michigan | $161,286 |
| 4 | Oregon | $159,500 |
| 5 | California | $184,725 |
| 6 | Utah | $179,789 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $169,102 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $166,261 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $170,189 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $175,104 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $155,201 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $157,242 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $160,897 |
| 14 | Maine | $156,784 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $157,978 |
| 16 | New York | $179,258 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $149,559 |
| 18 | Colorado | $153,528 |
| 19 | Texas | $158,884 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $148,799 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $152,406 |
| 22 | Indiana | $151,984 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $144,196 |
| 24 | Washington | $158,541 |
| 25 | Alaska | $148,230 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $139,849 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $136,285 |
| 28 | Nevada | $154,883 |
| 29 | Montana | $140,936 |
| 30 | Iowa | $137,685 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $140,543 |
| 32 | Arizona | $147,541 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $138,841 |
| 34 | Ohio | $136,153 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $138,639 |
| 36 | Maryland | $142,323 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $132,732 |
| 38 | Kansas | $138,292 |
| 39 | Georgia | $136,806 |
| 40 | Virginia | $133,009 |
| 41 | Missouri | $135,213 |
| 42 | Vermont | $121,660 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $133,861 |
| 44 | Delaware | $131,133 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $115,257 |
| 46 | Idaho | $132,414 |
| 47 | Florida | $125,167 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $127,349 |
| 49 | Illinois | $123,891 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $130,081 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $106,075 |
Expert opinions on the best states for professors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for professors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Kathleen Hohenleitner
Senior Lecturer, University of Central Florida
Well, many students come to school intending to work in "book publishing," which I think means they want to read manuscripts at Penguin. That's not a super realistic goal for anyone unless they are in New York City, are independently wealthy, and are willing to start at the very bottom of the ladder. But there are nonetheless many other jobs for good writers, editors, and researchers all around the country. We were seeing more writers telecommuting even before the pandemic too, so I hope that indicates that such jobs are more about performance than about location.
There were also many jobs being advertised for English teachers in local public schools before the pandemic. I hope that continues.
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Updated January 8, 2025