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Assistant professor of psychology salary

Quoted expert
David McMahan Ph.D.

Average assistant professor of psychology salary

$63,645

$30.6 hourly rate

Entry-level assistant professor of psychology salary
$44,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding the Salary of Assistant Professors of Psychology

As of October 2025, the average salary for an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the United States is approximately $63,645 per year, or $31 per hour. Factors influencing this salary include geographic location, years of experience, and the type of institution. For example, positions at research universities often offer higher salaries compared to those at community colleges.

Salary Variations by State

States like California, New York, and Massachusetts tend to offer some of the highest salaries for this role. In California, the average salary can exceed $80,000, driven by a high cost of living and demand for psychological services.

Career Opportunities

In addition to traditional teaching roles, assistant professors may engage in research, publish studies, and participate in academic conferences, enhancing their earning potential and career trajectory. For those considering a career in academia, pursuing advanced degrees and gaining teaching experience can significantly impact salary prospects.

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Where can an Assistant Professor Of Psychology earn more?

Compare salary by location
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107k
87k
67k
47k
27k
Columbus, OH$93,298
Tulsa, OK$57,195
Compare salary by company
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Columbia University in the City of New York$104,809
Claremont McKenna College$74,564

Assistant professor of psychology salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor and Payscale, the average salary for an assistant professor of psychology typically falls between $56,563 and $89,861.
zippia
$63,645yearly
glassdoor[1]
$89,861yearly
payscale[2]
$56,563yearly

Average assistant professor of psychology salary by state

The average assistant professor of psychology salary in California, Nevada, and Rhode Island are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average assistant professor of psychology salary states are New Mexico, Kansas, and West Virginia.

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Average salary:

Highest paying states for assistant professors of psychology

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York$78,940$37.95
2Rhode Island$79,764$38.35
3Indiana$70,152$33.73
4District of Columbia$77,249$37.14
5California$91,253$43.87
6Connecticut$79,338$38.14
7Utah$67,118$32.27
8Minnesota$72,848$35.02
9Wyoming$74,891$36.01
10New Hampshire$78,123$37.56
11Nevada$81,447$39.16
12Illinois$70,988$34.13
13Delaware$78,337$37.66
14New Jersey$72,256$34.74
15Oregon$66,256$31.85
16Iowa$64,582$31.05
17Pennsylvania$64,450$30.99
18Vermont$63,736$30.64
19Michigan$64,064$30.80
20Mississippi$61,302$29.47
21Nebraska$62,080$29.85
22Alabama$62,396$30.00
23Alaska$62,265$29.94
24Louisiana$60,702$29.18
25Massachusetts$66,675$32.06
26South Dakota$59,242$28.48
27Ohio$61,650$29.64
28Arizona$62,400$30.00
29Montana$62,907$30.24
30Idaho$63,402$30.48
31Maine$60,886$29.27
32North Dakota$62,612$30.10
33North Carolina$60,767$29.21
34Virginia$61,404$29.52
35Washington$64,035$30.79
36Missouri$61,472$29.55
37Tennessee$57,192$27.50
38Texas$57,641$27.71
39Maryland$63,841$30.69
40West Virginia$52,671$25.32
41Hawaii$59,396$28.56
42Florida$58,165$27.96
43Wisconsin$55,585$26.72
44South Carolina$58,685$28.21
45Oklahoma$57,365$27.58
46Colorado$50,798$24.42
47Kentucky$50,540$24.30
48Kansas$53,350$25.65
49Georgia$55,819$26.84
50New Mexico$53,350$25.65
51Arkansas$50,218$24.14
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Highest paying cities for assistant professors of psychology

The highest-paying cities for assistant professors of psychology are Fresno, CA, Las Vegas, NV, and Middletown, CT.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Fresno, CA$93,298$44.85
2Las Vegas, NV$81,108$38.99
3Middletown, CT$79,546$38.24
4New York, NY$79,162$38.06
5Chicago, IL$71,063$34.16
6West Lafayette, IN$70,058$33.68
7Boston, MA$66,752$32.09
8Portland, OR$65,975$31.72
9Philadelphia, PA$64,936$31.22
10Cedar Falls, IA$64,688$31.10
11Baltimore, MD$64,105$30.82
12Fargo, ND$62,437$30.02
13Virginia Beach, VA$61,659$29.64
14Springfield, MO$61,456$29.55
15Greensboro, NC$61,051$29.35
16Lafayette, LA$60,939$29.30
17Cincinnati, OH$59,795$28.75
18Fort Myers, FL$58,639$28.19
19Abilene, TX$58,005$27.89
20Tulsa, OK$57,195$27.50

Assistant professor of psychology salary details

An assistant professor of psychology's salary ranges from $44,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $91,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average assistant professor of psychology salary graph
Average assistant professor of psychology salary graph, trends, and summary

What is an assistant professor of psychology's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$91,000$7,583$44
75th Percentile$77,000$6,417$37
Average$63,645$5,304$31
25th Percentile$52,000$4,333$25
10th Percentile$44,000$3,667$21

Highest paying assistant professor of psychology jobs

The highest paying types of assistant professors of psychology are professor, social sciences department chairperson, and associate professor.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Psychology Instructor$58,760$4,897$28.2536,350
Professor$157,570$13,131$75.7521,861
Adjunct Professor$98,821$8,235$47.5122,488

How would you rate the starting salaries for Assistant professors of psychology, 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 assistant professors of psychology the most?

Assistant professor of psychology salaries at Columbia University in the City of New York and The George Washington University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average assistant professor of psychology salary at companies like Pace University and University of San Diego are highly competitive.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$60,000$59,400$58,800$58,200$57,600$57,000
MaleFemale

Assistant professor of psychology salary trends

The average assistant professor of psychology salary has risen by $8,165 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average assistant professor of psychology earned $55,480 annually, but today, they earn $63,645 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for assistant professors of psychology over the last decade.

Compare assistant professor of psychology salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average assistant professor of psychology salary over time

Compare assistant professor of psychology salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Assistant professor of psychology salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$63,600$30.60+2.0%
2025$62,400$29.99-0.1%
2024$62,400$30.02+3.8%
2023$60,100$28.87+0.9%
2022$59,500$28.63+3.9%

Recently added assistant professor of psychology salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
SCU Credit UnionAssistant Professor Counseling Psychology-Three PositionsSanta Clara, CA06/29/2025$85,947
Hofstra UniversityAssistant Professor of Clinical PsychologyHempstead, NY06/28/2025$92,000
Santa Clara UniversityAssistant Professor Counseling Psychology-Three PositionsSanta Clara, CA06/28/2025$85,947
Loyola Marymount UniversityAssistant Professor of Psychological Science (Open Area)Los Angeles, CA06/28/2025$87,000
Hilbert CollegeAssistant Professor, PsychologyHamburg, NY06/26/2025$55,000
St. Olaf CollegeAssistant Professor of Clinical/Counseling/School PsychologyNorthfield, MN06/26/2025$74,190
Idaho State UniversityAssistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, College of Arts & Letters (1038)Pocatello, ID06/25/2025$70,000
University of Mount Saint VincentClinical Assistant Professor of PsychologyNew York, NY06/25/2025$70,000
Springfield Technical Community CollegeAssistant Professor of Psychology-Springfield Technical Community CollegeSpringfield, MA06/25/2025$58,438
Comprehensive Behavior SupportsPsychology Opportunity-Free Training YonkersYonkers, NY06/21/2025$41,740

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