Stanford University salaries

Q: Is the pay good at Stanford University?

Yes, the pay is good at Stanford University. Compared to the industry average of $58,634 per year, the average annual salary at Stanford University is $78,439, which is 33.78% higher.

Q: What is the starting pay at Stanford University?

The starting pay at Stanford University is $47,000 per year, or $22.60 per hour.

Q: How much does Stanford University pay an hour?

Stanford University pays $37.71 an hour, on average.

Zippia score 4.5

Stanford University salary estimate

$78,439yearly

$37.71 hourly rate

Entry-level salary

$47,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Stanford University Salaries

At Stanford University, salaries vary significantly based on department and role, with an average salary of $78,439 in 2025. Positions in research & development generally command higher salaries, reflecting the institution's commitment to innovation. For example, educators and administrative roles also show competitive pay, making Stanford a desirable workplace. To attract top talent, the university offers a range of benefits alongside competitive compensation. Understanding these dynamics can help prospective employees gauge their earning potential and career paths within this esteemed institution. Explore the highest paying positions to see where your skills may align for optimal opportunities.

Highest paying jobs at Stanford University

The highest paying jobs at Stanford University are basic sciences professor, assistant professor, systems administrator, and software installer. Basic sciences professor jobs at Stanford University earn an average yearly salary of $161,204, Stanford University assistant professor jobs average $123,386, and Stanford University systems administrator jobs average $119,952.

The lowest paying Stanford University roles include internship and administrative associate. Stanford University internship average salary is $48,843 per year. So while the average Stanford University salary is $78,439 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Stanford University

Rank	Job title	Average Stanford University salary	Hourly rate
1	Basic Sciences Professor	$161,204	$77.50
2	Assistant Professor	$123,386	$59.32
3	Systems Administrator	$119,952	$57.67
4	Software Installer	$113,284	$54.46
5	Software Developer	$106,324	$51.12
6	Staff Engineer	$105,290	$50.62
7	Scientist	$101,388	$48.74
8	Mechanical Engineer	$94,474	$45.42
9	Social Science Manager	$92,579	$44.51
10	Life Science Teacher	$88,276	$42.44
11	Finance Analyst	$87,743	$42.18
12	Instructor	$86,341	$41.51
13	Biostatistician	$85,923	$41.31
14	Lecturer	$83,808	$40.29
15	Research Associate	$82,700	$39.76
16	Data Analyst	$80,566	$38.73
17	Research Affiliate	$76,505	$36.78
18	Postdoctoral Scholar	$66,334	$31.89
19	Event Manager	$62,641	$30.12
20	Doctoral Fellow	$61,406	$29.52

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Stanford University salaries by department

Salaries at Stanford University vary depending on the department you work in. Stanford University salaries in the it department are the highest with an average salary of $113,663. Employees in the engineering department at Stanford University receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $101,831 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Stanford University include the administrative and the research & development organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $50,861 and $74,267, respectively.

Average Stanford University salary by department

Rank	Department	Average Stanford University salary	Hourly rate
1	IT	$113,663	$54.65
2	Engineering	$101,831	$48.96
3	Education	$94,960	$45.65
4	Research & Development	$74,268	$35.71
5	Administrative	$50,862	$24.45

How much does Stanford University pay by department?

Best paying Stanford University research & development salaries

Rank	Position	Average Stanford University salary	Hourly rate
1	Scientist	$101,388	$48.74
2	Social Science Manager	$92,579	$44.51
3	Biostatistician	$85,923	$41.31
4	Research Associate	$82,700	$39.76
5	Research Affiliate	$76,505	$36.78
6	Postdoctoral Scholar	$66,334	$31.89
7	Doctoral Fellow	$61,406	$29.52
8	Graduate Researcher	$54,433	$26.17
9	Graduate Student Assistant	$53,591	$25.76
10	Laboratory Assistant	$42,413	$20.39

Best paying Stanford University education salaries

Rank	Position	Average Stanford University salary	Hourly rate
1	Basic Sciences Professor	$161,204	$77.50
2	Assistant Professor	$123,386	$59.32
3	Program Lead	$99,784	$47.97
4	Librarian	$92,036	$44.25
5	Life Science Teacher	$88,276	$42.44
6	Physical Science Teacher	$86,951	$41.80
7	Instructor	$86,341	$41.51
8	Lecturer	$83,808	$40.29
9	Performance Coach	$68,305	$32.84
10	Peer Health Educator	$66,680	$32.06
11	Mentor	$60,279	$28.98
12	Teaching Fellow	$60,238	$28.96
13	Head Coach	$56,625	$27.22
14	Teaching Assistant	$56,456	$27.14
15	Student Services Coordinator	$52,982	$25.47
16	Student Services Specialist	$51,778	$24.89
17	Tutor	$44,310	$21.30

Best paying Stanford University engineering salaries

Rank	Position	Average Stanford University salary	Hourly rate
1	Technical Project Manager	$131,578	$63.26
2	Database Administrator	$124,477	$59.84
3	Senior Leader	$120,521	$57.94
4	Technical System Analyst	$114,219	$54.91
5	ETL Developer	$110,971	$53.35
6	Programmer	$107,646	$51.75
7	Software Developer	$106,324	$51.12
8	Staff Engineer	$105,290	$50.62
9	Engineering Associate	$96,043	$46.17
10	Engineering Scientist	$95,536	$45.93
11	Mechanical Engineer	$94,474	$45.42
12	Computer Consultant	$84,892	$40.81
13	Information Systems Specialist	$84,515	$40.63
14	Scientific Database Curator	$82,271	$39.55
15	Data Analyst	$80,566	$38.73
16	Communications Officer	$50,284	$24.18

Stanford University competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at Stanford University competitors, like New York University, University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University in the City of New York, vary. New York University employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $73,429. The average salary at University of California, Berkeley is $68,472 per year, and the average salary at Columbia University in the City of New York is $67,995 per year.

Highest paying Stanford University competitors

Rank	Company name	Zippia score	Average salary
1	New York University	4.8	$73,429
2	University of California-Berkeley	4.4	$68,472
3	Columbia University in the City of New York	4.2	$67,995
4	University of California	4.6	$67,604
5	University of Southern California	4.1	$66,195
6	Yale University	4.8	$64,010
7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	4.7	$62,855
8	Harvard University	4.2	$62,600
9	Princeton University	4.3	$61,494
10	Northwestern University	4.6	$59,770
11	Harvey Mudd College	4.5	$59,458
12	Cornell University	4.4	$59,085
13	UC Santa Barbara	4.4	$58,647
14	Pennsylvania Company Inc	4.7	$56,002
15	University of California, Riverside	4.1	$53,897
16	Case Western Reserve University	4.0	$51,133
17	University of Virginia	4.5	$49,560
18	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	4.6	$46,880
19	University of Pennsylvania	3.9	$43,523
20	Ohio Northern University	4.2	$40,065

Recently added Stanford University salaries

Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Project Manager, Education Entrepreneurship Hub	Stanford, CA	06/28/2025	$125,600
Student Services Specialist	Stanford, CA	06/28/2025	$71,709
Process Control Instrumentation Technician Specialist	Stanford, CA	06/28/2025	$117,936
Research Scientist (Fixed-Term), Emergency Medicine (U.S.-Flexible Work Location)	Stanford, CA	06/28/2025	$120,000
Assistant Director, Marketing and Communications	Stanford, CA	06/28/2025	$100,023

What employees say about salary at Stanford University

Employee reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2024

Pros of working at Stanford University

Amenities Work life balance Cutting edge research

Cons of working at Stanford University

Low pay

Stanford University benefits

Subsidized swim lessons

What do you like best about Stanford University's CEO and the leadership team?

Very employee focused

How would you improve Stanford University's culture?

by improving annual performance review

How did you prepare for the Stanford University interview?

Practicing multiple times

How does your compensation at Stanford University compare to the industry average?

Quite Low especially for Bay area

What's the diversity at Stanford University like?

Very good

What brings you the most joy at Stanford University?

Focus on research, ownership, nice colleagues

Is this useful?

3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2023

Pros of working at Stanford University

The campus is amazing.

Cons of working at Stanford University

Management is 20 years behind the times.

Stanford University benefits

Great stability and retirement benefits.

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Frequently asked questions about Stanford University salaries

Is the pay good at Stanford University?

What is the starting pay at Stanford University?

How much does Stanford University pay an hour?

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Updated December 15, 2025

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Stanford University, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Stanford University. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Stanford 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 Stanford University. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Stanford University and its employees or that of Zippia.

Stanford University may also be known as or be related to Leland Stanford Junior University, Stanford University and THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD.