How Much Does an Assistant Professor Make? Detailed Salary Insights

If you're eyeing a career in academia, or maybe you're already on that path, figuring out what assistant professors actually make is a big deal. The average assistant professor salary in the United States lands somewhere between $67,000 and $110,000 per year, but that's a huge range—field, institution, and even your zip code all play a part.

Your field matters—a lot. Law and accounting professors usually bring home more, while humanities folks aren't as lucky in the paycheck department.

Where you live, your qualifications, and the kind of school you work at all factor into your final number. Getting a handle on these details can make salary negotiations less intimidating and help you plan your next move.

Average Salary for Assistant Professors

Assistant professors in the U.S. see a pretty wide pay range. The national average falls between $67,444 and $152,924, depending on who you ask and how they crunch the numbers.

National Average Earnings

Salary data for assistant professors jumps around quite a bit. PayScale puts the average at $67,444 for 2025.

Zippia reports an average of $87,099, with a typical range from $50,000 up to $151,000 per year. The hourly rate averages out to about $41.87.

On the high end, Glassdoor lists $152,924 annually, which is roughly $74 per hour if you're full time.

Salary Range Breakdown:

• Entry Level (10th percentile): $74,661
• Mid-Range (25th percentile): $86,731
• Upper Range (75th percentile): $114,190
• Top Earners (90th percentile): $127,120

Location makes a big difference. ZipRecruiter finds regional averages near $82,470, but some states go higher.

Trends in Assistant Professor Salaries

Salaries for assistant professors have inched up lately. Liberal arts colleges pay an average of $69,615, about a 3.5% jump.

Community colleges pay a bit less, around $62,749, but that's up 3.64%. The growth isn't huge, but it's steady.

State-by-state, pay fluctuates because of things like population and living costs. Expensive states usually pay more to help offset those costs.

Key Trends:

• Salaries are rising 3-4% annually.
• Regional pay gaps are getting wider.
• Schools compete more for talent, nudging salaries up.

The job market is tight, which pushes starting salaries higher for new assistant professors.

Comparison with Similar Academic Positions

Assistant professor salaries don't match up with other ranks. Combined assistant and associate professor jobs average $99,988, so there's room to move up.

Associate professors usually make 20-30% more than assistants. Full professors can see 40-60% more than new hires.

Academic Rank Comparison:

• Assistant Professor: $67,444 - $152,924
• Associate Professor: $85,000 - $180,000 (estimated)
• Full Professor: $110,000 - $250,000 (estimated)

Climbing the ladder pays off. Most universities have built-in paths for promotions and raises.

Non-tenure track roles tend to pay less. Adjunct and visiting gigs usually come with smaller paychecks and fewer perks.

Salary Differences by Discipline and Specialization

Medical and engineering assistant professors pull in the highest salaries. Education and humanities professors, not so much. The highest paid professor in the U.S. is probably a guy at a research university teaching medicine or engineering.

Highest and Lowest Paying Fields

Medical schools and engineering departments lead the pack for starting salaries. In those fields, $120,000 to $200,000 isn't unusual.

Business schools are also pretty generous. Finance and econ professors often out-earn their colleagues in other departments.

Highest Paying Fields:

• Medicine and Health Sciences
• Engineering and Computer Science
• Business and Finance
• Law

Lowest Paying Fields:

• Education
• Social Work
• Fine Arts
• English and Literature

Education departments tend to offer the lowest pay, sometimes as low as $45,000 to $65,000.

Fine arts and humanities struggle with limited budgets, so salaries lag behind.

Notable Differences in STEM and Humanities

STEM professors almost always make more than those in the humanities. If you're in science, tech, engineering, or math, your paycheck's likely bigger.

Computer science and data science professors get paid especially well. Demand from outside academia helps push those numbers up.

Chemistry and physics salaries are pretty solid too. Biology and environmental science fall somewhere in the middle.

History, philosophy, and literature professors usually earn less. Some humanities salaries trail STEM by 30-50% at the same university.

Foreign language departments are often at the very bottom for pay. English professors do a bit better, but not by much.

Impact of Field-Specific Demand

Market demand shapes salaries. Where there's industry money, academic pay follows.

Tech and healthcare fields benefit from outside partnerships, so pay and research funding are better.

Departments with shrinking enrollment see flat or even falling salaries. Opportunities for raises can be hard to find in those areas.

High Demand Fields:

• Cybersecurity
• Data Science
• Nursing
• Public Health

Low Demand Fields:

• Foreign Languages
• Philosophy
• Art History
• Classical Studies

Location matters too. If your field is hot in a certain region, odds are you'll earn more there.

Geographic and Institutional Impact on Salaries

Where you work and what kind of school hires you can totally change your salary. Geographic location sets the market rate, and institution type decides your pay scale.

Regional Variations Across the United States

Location is a big deal for assistant professor pay. States with high living costs pay more—it’s the only way to keep faculty afloat.

California and New York almost always top the charts for salaries. Not surprising, given the price of rent and everything else.

Northeast and West Coast schools generally pay 15-25% above the national average. The South and Midwest pay less, but your dollar stretches further there.

Rural colleges don’t pay as much as city schools. In bigger cities with several universities, competition for good faculty drives salaries up.

Public vs. Private Institutions

The kind of school you pick really changes your salary potential. Private colleges tend to pay the most.

Private universities have bigger endowments and more budget wiggle room. They can throw in higher salaries and nicer benefits to get top faculty.

Public universities depend on state funding, so salaries can be at the mercy of the legislature.

State schools sometimes make up for lower salaries with better job security and pensions. Over time, those perks can really add up.

Private schools might toss in extras like housing help, research money, or sabbaticals.

Influence of University Prestige

Prestige pays. The more well-known your university, the bigger your paycheck.

Research universities put a premium on faculty salaries, especially for those who bring in grant money and publish a lot.

Ivy League and elite private schools set the bar high, sometimes paying 20-40% more than average.

Big-name state schools like the University of California or Michigan compete with private colleges by offering strong salary packages.

Less prestigious colleges might pay less, but you could get smaller classes, more teaching freedom, or a tight-knit campus vibe.

Factors Influencing Assistant Professor Compensation

Assistant professor pay isn’t just about base salary. Experience, extra duties, and your negotiating skills all shape your total package.

Experience and Academic Rank Progression

Experience matters. Entry-level assistant professors usually start at $70,000-$80,000, and after a few years, you can bump that up to $80,000-$90,000.

Experience-Based Salary Progression:

• 0-2 years: $70,000-$80,000
• 3-5 years: $80,000-$90,000
• 6-9 years: $90,000-$105,000

If you’ve done postdoc work or have industry chops, you can often negotiate a higher starting salary.

Moving up to associate professor brings a nice raise. Other factors count too, like your research output and teaching reviews.

Additional Responsibilities and Research Funding

Taking on more than teaching can pad your paycheck. Committee work, mentoring grad students, and admin roles usually come with stipends.

Common Additional Compensation Sources:

• Committee leadership: $2,000-$5,000 yearly
• Grad program coordinator: $3,000-$8,000
• Research center gigs: $5,000-$15,000
• Summer teaching: $8,000-$12,000 per class

Landing research grants can boost your income, too. Universities may offer summer salary or reduce your teaching load if you bring in external funding.

STEM fields provide more grant opportunities, which can mean extra money.

Negotiation and Benefits Packages

How you negotiate can make a huge difference. Many new faculty focus just on salary and forget about all the extras.

Key Negotiable Items:

• Research startup funds: $10,000-$100,000
• Conference travel: $2,000-$5,000 per year
• Course release time
• Equipment and software

Benefits can add another 20-30% to your total compensation. Health insurance, retirement, and tuition waivers for your kids or spouse are worth a lot.

You can often negotiate moving costs, temporary housing, and even your start date. Don’t forget to ask about sabbaticals and professional development money.

Never just take the first offer. Schools expect you to negotiate.

Frequently Asked Questions

New assistant professors usually earn somewhere between $59,000 and $113,000 a year. That’s about $4,900 to $9,400 each month, depending on the details.

What is the average starting salary for an assistant professor with a PhD?

If you’re coming in with a PhD, you’ll probably start around $75,000 per year on average. Most offers fall between $59,000 and $113,000.

The exact number depends on your field and where you land a job. STEM jobs pay more than humanities, almost always.

Location matters, too. California and New York schools usually pay more than those in cheaper parts of the country.

How does the salary of an assistant professor at Harvard compare to other institutions?

Harvard assistant professors usually earn quite a bit more than the national average. Elite schools like Harvard bump salaries up by 20-40% to lure in top-tier scholars.

The numbers shift from year to year, but assistant professors at places like Harvard often make somewhere between $90,000 and $150,000 a year. That’s a big jump from the national average of about $75,000 for assistant professors.

On top of base pay, Harvard sometimes tosses in perks like housing help, research money, or even a shot at sabbaticals. Those extras can really boost your overall compensation.

What can an assistant professor in the U.S. expect to make per month?

Most assistant professors in the U.S. take home around $4,900 to $9,400 per month before taxes. This lines up with the annual salary range of $59,000 to $113,000 for most positions.

Universities usually spread your pay out over 12 months, even if you’re only teaching during the school year. Some schools go with a 9-month contract, which means bigger monthly checks but a different annual rhythm.

Once taxes, health insurance, and retirement get deducted, your take-home pay drops a bit. Many schools also offer extra summer pay if you pick up research or teaching gigs.

What are the typical earnings for an assistant professor at Columbia University?

Assistant professors at Columbia University usually earn between $85,000 and $140,000 each year. The exact number depends a lot on your department and how much experience you’ve got.

Columbia bumps up salaries to help offset New York City’s famously high cost of living. You might also get perks like subsidized housing or help with transportation.

Departments at Columbia don’t all pay the same. If you’re in business, engineering, or medicine, you’ll probably see higher salaries than folks in the liberal arts.

What is the salary range for tenure-track assistant professor positions?

Tenure-track assistant professor jobs generally pay anywhere from $54,732 to $165,846 each year. Your paycheck depends on your field, where you work, and even what part of the country you’re in.

Big research universities usually offer higher salaries than small teaching-focused colleges. R1 institutions pay a premium compared to community colleges or tiny liberal arts schools.

Most tenure-track gigs also throw in benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and sometimes research funding. Those extras can easily add another 20-30% in value to your total package.

What factors influence the variation in assistant professor salaries across different states in the U.S.?

Your salary really depends on where you live. Cost of living and how much a state invests in higher education both play big roles.

States like California, New York, and Massachusetts usually offer bigger paychecks. You won't see the same numbers in smaller or less expensive states.

Public universities in states with solid funding tend to pay more. If you're at a Texas or Florida public university, you might earn more than someone in a state that's tightening its education budget.

There's also the matter of what you teach. If your field is in high demand—say, computer science or engineering—and you're in a state with a booming tech industry, odds are you'll see a higher salary than your peers elsewhere.