Women had the lowest overall average salaries in comparison with men at doctoral universities with the highest research activity. They also had the lowest representation on the full-time instructional staff at such universities. They slightly outnumbered men, however, at master’s institutions with larger or medium-size programs. In terms of pay, they did best in comparison with men as full-time instructors or lecturers at master’s institutions with smaller programs or at those same ranks at baccalaureate institutions that specialized in diverse fields.
Return to the Almanac home page, or go to the Profession, Students, Finance, or States section. To purchase a copy of the Almanac in print or as a downloadable interactive PDF, visit the Chronicle Store. Help guide us to give you the data you need by taking our 10-minute online Almanac survey.
Doctoral institutions
Highest research activity
| Professor | 16,102 | 25.0% | $188,191 | $192,554 | $175,231 | 91.0% |
| Associate professor | 7,882 | 40.9% | $116,655 | $120,375 | $111,354 | 92.5% |
| Assistant professor | 7,256 | 43.4% | $101,228 | $105,830 | $95,337 | 90.1% |
| Instructor | 1,122 | 52.9% | $68,709 | $71,063 | $66,674 | 93.8% |
| Lecturer | 5,063 | 56.3% | $71,110 | $76,520 | $66,918 | 87.5% |
| No academic rank | 2,805 | 47.4% | $79,363 | $82,694 | $75,685 | 91.5% |
| All instructional staff total | 40,230 | 37.7% | $132,300 | $145,190 | $111,338 | 76.7% |
Higher research activity
| Professor | 4,880 | 25.0% | $137,505 | $140,030 | $129,869 | 92.7% |
| Associate professor | 4,846 | 39.7% | $95,619 | $96,943 | $93,588 | 96.5% |
| Assistant professor | 3,827 | 47.6% | $81,515 | $84,888 | $77,786 | 91.6% |
| Instructor | 1,881 | 55.8% | $69,276 | $73,174 | $66,282 | 90.6% |
| Lecturer | 1,382 | 52.3% | $59,126 | $61,155 | $57,297 | 93.7% |
| No academic rank | 416 | 47.6% | $67,357 | $73,387 | $60,779 | 82.8% |
| All instructional staff total | 17,232 | 40.3% | $97,768 | $105,185 | $86,770 | 82.5% |
Moderate research activity
| Professor | 4,334 | 33.5% | $107,549 | $110,314 | $102,124 | 92.6% |
| Associate professor | 4,925 | 48.0% | $83,478 | $85,835 | $80,951 | 94.3% |
| Assistant professor | 4,929 | 52.7% | $63,217 | $62,518 | $63,846 | 102.1% |
| Instructor | 1,272 | 52.7% | $49,167 | $50,042 | $48,400 | 96.7% |
| Lecturer | 565 | 46.4% | $59,876 | $62,556 | $56,807 | 90.8% |
| No academic rank | 267 | 51.7% | $62,234 | $63,471 | $61,107 | 96.3% |
| All instructional staff total | 16,292 | 46.0% | $79,780 | $83,936 | $74,940 | 89.3% |
•••
Master’s institutions
Larger programs
| Professor | 8,655 | 37.6% | $96,869 | $99,404 | $92,692 | 93.2% |
| Associate professor | 10,513 | 50.3% | $76,536 | $78,166 | $74,949 | 95.9% |
| Assistant professor | 11,126 | 57.5% | $64,739 | $66,269 | $63,630 | 96.0% |
| Instructor | 3,475 | 60.5% | $49,381 | $49,396 | $49,371 | 99.9% |
| Lecturer | 1,445 | 54.5% | $57,858 | $60,412 | $55,727 | 92.2% |
| No academic rank | 2,564 | 72.2% | $44,511 | $46,336 | $43,825 | 94.6% |
| All instructional staff total | 37,778 | 52.1% | $71,679 | $76,819 | $67,088 | 87.3% |
Medium programs
| Professor | 3,404 | 38.6% | $82,507 | $83,396 | $81,101 | 97.2% |
| Associate professor | 4,048 | 50.0% | $67,745 | $68,660 | $66,836 | 97.3% |
| Assistant professor | 4,465 | 56.1% | $58,439 | $58,770 | $58,182 | 99.0% |
| Instructor | 764 | 63.2% | $48,350 | $47,858 | $48,639 | 101.6% |
| Lecturer | 468 | 55.8% | $51,250 | $54,089 | $48,963 | 90.5% |
| No academic rank | 277 | 52.7% | $46,251 | $46,226 | $46,274 | 100.1% |
| All instructional staff total | 13,426 | 50.2% | $66,240 | $68,561 | $63,941 | 93.3% |
Smaller programs
| Professor | 1,459 | 34.1% | $76,336 | $76,344 | $76,323 | 100.0% |
| Associate professor | 1,775 | 44.7% | $66,303 | $67,766 | $64,501 | 95.2% |
| Assistant professor | 2,116 | 54.3% | $55,712 | $54,775 | $56,500 | 103.1% |
| Instructor | 473 | 60.3% | $45,972 | $44,541 | $46,912 | 105.3% |
| Lecturer | 151 | 59.6% | $42,106 | $40,268 | $43,399 | 107.8% |
| No academic rank | 72 | 50.0% | $30,160 | $33,149 | $27,251 | 82.2% |
| All instructional staff total | 6,046 | 47.2% | $62,326 | $64,037 | $60,422 | 94.4% |
•••
Baccalaureate institutions
Arts and sciences focus
| Professor | 8,615 | 37.5% | $106,418 | $108,245 | $103,381 | 95.5% |
| Associate professor | 7,775 | 48.0% | $79,208 | $80,031 | $78,316 | 97.9% |
| Assistant professor | 7,656 | 53.9% | $64,554 | $65,242 | $63,968 | 98.0% |
| Instructor | 1,357 | 61.5% | $50,845 | $52,081 | $50,070 | 96.1% |
| Lecturer | 778 | 61.6% | $64,478 | $65,175 | $64,043 | 98.3% |
| No academic rank | 1,230 | 52.4% | $66,803 | $69,768 | $64,107 | 91.9% |
| All instructional staff total | 27,411 | 47.6% | $81,266 | $85,211 | $76,933 | 90.3% |
Diverse fields
| Professor | 2,622 | 33.9% | $68,487 | $69,106 | $67,278 | 97.4% |
| Associate professor | 2,836 | 44.5% | $58,263 | $58,910 | $57,457 | 97.5% |
| Assistant professor | 3,994 | 52.2% | $51,000 | $51,980 | $50,105 | 96.4% |
| Instructor | 1,012 | 58.1% | $40,742 | $38,655 | $42,292 | 109.4% |
| Lecturer | 134 | 57.5% | $36,723 | $35,704 | $37,488 | 105.0% |
| No academic rank | 826 | 27.7% | $58,539 | $62,940 | $46,187 | 73.4% |
| All instructional staff total | 11,424 | 44.9% | $56,258 | $58,432 | $53,553 | 91.6% |
Note: Data cover full-time instructional staff members at degree-granting four-year private nonprofit institutions in the United States that are eligible to participate in Title IV financial-aid programs. Summary data are given for average salaries within each relevant Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The salaries are adjusted to a standard nine-month work year, and averages are weighted. Medical-school instructional staff are excluded. Tribal colleges and special-focus institutions are also excluded from the above categories. More-detailed institutional and summary faculty-salary data can be viewed online here. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to the Almanac editor
Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data</small></p>
