Professor Salaries

The average salary for a Professor is $1,48,414 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 9763 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Professor employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Professor in United States is $2,03,499 per year.

The lowest salary for a Professor in United States is $1,11,310 per year.

Universities generally provide full-time professors with comfortable salaries, although the candidates could earn even more in non-academic positions. Professors enjoy many non-monetary perks including intellectually stimulating work, access to coursework at their universities, highly accomplished colleagues, and the freedom to self-manage. Tenured faculty further enjoy unparalleled job security, although the number of tenure-track positions has dropped in recent years as universities shift to hiring cheaper non-tenure-eligible faculty.

Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research

Roughly 64% of professors who've left anonymous reviews on Glassdoor report feeling satisfied with their salary. Advanced education, including a Ph.D. in a specialty field, and several years of experience teaching can all contribute to earning a higher salary for most college and university professors.

Professors' salaries fall across a very wide range, from $86,079.96 at the low end to $269,140.19 near the top. The individual professor's level of training and specialty area contribute to where they fall on the spectrum, as do their years of experience teaching and whether they've earned any special distinctions in their field. On average, professors can expect to receive about $130,304.94 per year.

Depending on where you fall on the typical professor career path, there are many ways to make more money. For many associate professors, one of the easiest ways to boost earnings is to take on extra classes for a fixed rate per class. If you work in a research field, there may be grants you can apply for that will fund your lab, or you can keep up a steady publishing record that earns you tenure and eventually a full professorship. You might also be able to earn more through consulting work or in partnership with private industry. A distinguished publication record and election to the Academy might also help you negotiate a higher base pay rate.

If you're starting a new job as a professor, you may not have a lot of bargaining power for a higher salary. Offer your full availability on a flexible schedule, and be ready to take on extra duties as needed. As you advance, you may be able to negotiate a higher salary by rising in responsibility in your department, or by frequently publishing relevant research in a respected journal. Try to look for other professor jobs with different employers before accepting tenure at a particular job, since the additional options these jobs bring may improve your ability to ask for a higher salary for the rest of your career.

About 64.23% of Professor professionals feel satisfied with their salary, according to anonymous Glassdoor ratings. An additional $18,109 in potential pay per year, among other factors, can qualify the annual pay of a Professor in United States as a good salary.

Professor professionals in United States have a wide total pay range, between $86,080 and $2,69,140 depending on experience, with an estimated total pay of $1,48,414 following the average career path of a Professor.