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Lecturer salary
Average lecturer salary
$61,988
Average Lecturer Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a lecturer across the United States is approximately $61,988 per year. This figure represents a broad range of salaries which can vary significantly based on several factors.
How Much Does a Lecturer Make?
Lecturers typically earn between $45,000 and $90,000, depending on their education level, years of experience, and the institution of employment. For instance, those with a Ph.D. may command higher salaries compared to those with just a master’s degree.
Where Can a Lecturer Earn More?
Compensation also depends on geographic location. States such as California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and the demand for higher education professionals. Understanding regional salary trends is crucial for those considering a career as a lecturer.
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Where can a Lecturer earn more?
Lecturer salary estimates from across the web
Average lecturer salary by state
The highest-paying states for lecturers are California, New York, and Massachusetts. The lowest average lecturer salary states are Mississippi, Delaware, and North Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lecturers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $80,431 | $38.67 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $72,969 | $35.08 |
| 3 | Alabama | $69,445 | $33.39 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $70,123 | $33.71 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $75,796 | $36.44 |
| 6 | Vermont | $64,634 | $31.07 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $65,340 | $31.41 |
| 8 | California | $82,320 | $39.58 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $72,119 | $34.67 |
| 10 | Michigan | $62,749 | $30.17 |
| 11 | Alaska | $58,207 | $27.98 |
| 12 | Idaho | $68,899 | $33.12 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $65,660 | $31.57 |
| 14 | Iowa | $55,777 | $26.82 |
| 15 | Maryland | $62,352 | $29.98 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $57,315 | $27.56 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $56,656 | $27.24 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $60,551 | $29.11 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $59,827 | $28.76 |
| 20 | Virginia | $56,423 | $27.13 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $49,788 | $23.94 |
| 22 | Maine | $55,387 | $26.63 |
| 23 | Montana | $53,122 | $25.54 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $56,053 | $26.95 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $52,068 | $25.03 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $52,796 | $25.38 |
| 27 | Washington | $60,104 | $28.90 |
| 28 | Indiana | $49,931 | $24.01 |
| 29 | Kansas | $54,592 | $26.25 |
| 30 | Colorado | $48,842 | $23.48 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $45,330 | $21.79 |
| 32 | Georgia | $51,865 | $24.94 |
| 33 | Oregon | $47,637 | $22.90 |
| 34 | Ohio | $49,339 | $23.72 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $57,480 | $27.63 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $46,061 | $22.14 |
| 37 | Missouri | $47,407 | $22.79 |
| 38 | Nevada | $51,126 | $24.58 |
| 39 | Illinois | $48,116 | $23.13 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $41,754 | $20.07 |
| 41 | Arizona | $47,709 | $22.94 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $47,889 | $23.02 |
| 43 | Florida | $47,358 | $22.77 |
| 44 | Utah | $42,768 | $20.56 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $45,194 | $21.73 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $39,451 | $18.97 |
| 47 | Texas | $37,342 | $17.95 |
| 48 | Delaware | $40,577 | $19.51 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $43,617 | $20.97 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $33,196 | $15.96 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $38,599 | $18.56 |
Highest paying cities for lecturers
The highest-paying cities for lecturers are Berkeley, CA, Troy, NY, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley, CA | $90,473 | $43.50 |
| 2 | Troy, NY | $80,685 | $38.79 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $75,811 | $36.45 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $73,010 | $35.10 |
| 5 | Mount Pleasant, MI | $62,768 | $30.18 |
| 6 | College Park, MD | $62,207 | $29.91 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $60,962 | $29.31 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $56,990 | $27.40 |
| 9 | Iowa City, IA | $56,169 | $27.00 |
| 10 | Charlottesville, VA | $55,750 | $26.80 |
| 11 | Lawrence, KS | $54,801 | $26.35 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $51,918 | $24.96 |
| 13 | Cleveland, OH | $51,160 | $24.60 |
| 14 | West Lafayette, IN | $49,738 | $23.91 |
| 15 | Denver, CO | $48,842 | $23.48 |
| 16 | Evanston, IL | $48,579 | $23.36 |
| 17 | Saint Louis, MO | $47,882 | $23.02 |
| 18 | Coral Gables, FL | $47,837 | $23.00 |
| 19 | Tempe, AZ | $47,704 | $22.93 |
| 20 | Knoxville, TN | $46,153 | $22.19 |
Lecturer salary details
A lecturer's salary ranges from $37,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $101,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lecturer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| 75th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| Average | $61,988 | $5,166 | $30 |
| 25th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| 10th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
Highest paying lecturer jobs
The highest paying types of lecturers are visiting professor, associate professor, and adjunct professor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visiting Professor | $116,217 | $9,685 | $55.87 | 27,139 |
| Summer School Teacher | $52,828 | $4,402 | $25.40 | 86,467 |
| Education Instructor | $37,103 | $3,092 | $17.84 | 46,335 |
| Adjunct Faculty | $83,069 | $6,922 | $39.94 | 26,791 |
| Teaching Fellow | $44,040 | $3,670 | $21.17 | 40,551 |
| Faculty | $80,405 | $6,700 | $38.66 | 21,142 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for lecturers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
David McMahan Ph.D.
Charles A. Dana Professor of Religious Studies, Franklin and Marshall College
Which companies pay lecturers the most?
Lecturer salaries at Johns Hopkins University and University of Idaho are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lecturer salary at companies like Harvard University and Rhode Island School of Design are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johns Hopkins University | $177,953 | $85.55 |
| 2 | University of Idaho | $149,592 | $71.92 |
| 3 | Harvard University | $111,200 | $53.46 |
| 4 | Rhode Island School of Design | $101,187 | $48.65 |
| 5 | Georgetown University | $99,627 | $47.90 |
| 6 | Pace University | $97,652 | $46.95 |
| 7 | Northeastern University | $93,648 | $45.02 |
| 8 | University of California-Berkeley | $87,616 | $42.12 |
| 9 | Queen's College | $86,294 | $41.49 |
| 10 | Stanford University | $83,808 | $40.29 |
| 11 | California Polytechnic State University | $83,705 | $40.24 |
| 12 | The Catholic University of America | $82,969 | $39.89 |
| 13 | Loyola University New Orleans | $82,866 | $39.84 |
| 14 | Binghamton University | $82,682 | $39.75 |
| 15 | Cornell University | $81,837 | $39.34 |
| 16 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $81,810 | $39.33 |
| 17 | University of Maryland, Baltimore | $81,433 | $39.15 |
| 18 | Middlebury College | $81,097 | $38.99 |
| 19 | Flatiron School | $80,526 | $38.71 |
| 20 | The City University of New York | $80,196 | $38.56 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lecturer salary trends
The average lecturer salary has risen by $6,582 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lecturer earned $55,406 annually, but today, they earn $61,988 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for lecturers over the last decade.
Compare lecturer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lecturer salary over time
Compare lecturer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lecturer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $62,000 | $29.80 | +4.1% |
| 2025 | $59,400 | $28.57 | +4.8% |
| 2024 | $56,600 | $27.20 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $55,600 | $26.71 | +0.1% |
| 2022 | $55,500 | $26.67 | +2.2% |
Recently added lecturer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Colorado | Lecturer of Biology | Pueblo, CO | 06/29/2025 | $49,800 |
| SCU Credit Union | Quarterly Lecturer In Music, Cultures & Ideas and Intro To Listening: Western | Santa Clara, CA | 06/29/2025 | $114,624 |
| University of Colorado | Lecturer (Residential and Hybrid Pathways) | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/29/2025 | $83,480 |
| Eastern Washington University | Lecturer-Anthropology | Cheney, WA | 06/28/2025 | $55,157 |
| California State University System | Sociology-Lecturer Pool | Fullerton, CA | 06/27/2025 | $66,084 |
| City University of New York | Lecturer Doctoral SCH-Japanese Program, Department of Classical & Oriental Studies | New York, NY | 06/26/2025 | $84,440 |
| Marist College | Professional Lecturer In Management | Poughkeepsie, NY | 06/26/2025 | $90,000 |
| American University | Visiting Professorial Lecturer | Washington, DC | 06/26/2025 | $100,000 |
| Suny Oswego | Lecturer of Physics | Oswego, NY | 06/25/2025 | $55,000 |
| University of New Mexico | Lecturer II or III of Nursing at Valencia Branch Campus | Los Lunas, NM | 06/25/2025 | $65,000 |
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