Higher Education Faculty Salary Analysis
Despite relatively large salary increases in 2023, U.S. faculty’s purchasing power keeps falling according to federal data.
Purchasing power reflects the value of workers’ salaries or their ability to buy food, pay for medical bills, and keep a roof over their heads.
This year’s analysis also shows that the pay gap between women and men has persisted, that HBCU faculty are still underpaid compared to their colleagues, and that the most powerful thing that faculty and staff can do to win the pay they deserve is unionize and collectively bargain for it.
Key Findings
Increasing since before the Great Recession, faculty purchasing power declined through the COVID pandemic, and 2022-23 purchasing power is less than pre-recession and pre-COVID levels—recent historical high points.
On average, women faculty earn 85 cents to men’s dollar. The wage gap is smallest in lowest paid community colleges and largest in highest paid research universities, especially at the highest paid professorial rank.
Union faculty get paid more, on average, than faculty who don't collectively bargain.
On average, HBCU faculty earn 75 cents to the dollar of non-HBCU faculty, and the difference is larger in some states.
5 Things To Know About Faculty Pay Today
The bad news? Salaries may be up, but purchasing power is down and gaps still exist for women and faculty at historically Black colleges and colleges. The good news? Unions make a big difference.
Faculty Salary Data
| State | Avg. Salary at Public 4-Year | 4-Year Rank | Change 2021-22 to 2022-23 | Avg. Salary at Public 2-Year | Rank, 2-Year | Change 2021-22 to 2022-23 | Avg. Salary at Private | Salary Rank - Private | Change 2021-22 to 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $100,481 | - | 4.3% | $77,047 | - | 3.9% | $107,193 | - | 4.1% |
| Alabama | $89,982 | 32 | 3.7% | $65,228 | 29 | 3.5% | $67,125 | 38 | 2.2% |
| Alaska | $86,089 | 39 | 1.2% | $75,334 | 16 | -1.4% | $61,760 | 44 | 2.8% |
| Arizona | $100,447 | 18 | 1.4% | $80,471 | 11 | 4.5% | $80,766 | 29 | 8.9% |
| Arkansas | $76,844 | 49 | 2.5% | $53,252 | 50 | 1.2% | $62,820 | 43 | 1.6% |
| California | $129,096 | 1 | 6.7% | $110,491 | 1 | 4.5% | $127,664 | 5 | 4.0% |
| Colorado | $97,557 | 22 | 5.8% | $67,393 | 25 | 7.3% | $100,327 | 14 | 4.9% |
| Connecticut | $114,753 | 5 | 4.8% | $90,262 | 2 | 5.4% | $132,376 | 3 | 5.3% |
| Delaware | $118,805 | 3 | 2.1% | $77,648 | 13 | 3.6% | $79,021 | 31 | -0.2% |
| Florida | $102,927 | 15 | 2.8% | $63,999 | 32 | 2.3% | $92,447 | 22 | 2.9% |
| Georgia | $91,359 | 31 | 8.6% | $57,979 | 40 | 11.3% | $90,854 | 23 | 3.4% |
| Hawaii | $114,793 | 4 | 4.2% | $84,037 | 8 | 4.0% | $78,558 | 32 | 2.0% |
| Idaho | $81,964 | 43 | 4.6% | $60,138 | 38 | 3.3% | $65,365 | 42 | -1.8% |
| Illinois | $99,661 | 20 | 2.3% | $85,218 | 6 | 2.6% | $113,148 | 10 | 4.5% |
| Indiana | $97,904 | 21 | 5.2% | $55,027 | 43 | 3.6% | $94,666 | 19 | 5.3% |
| Iowa | $105,996 | 10 | 4.7% | $65,977 | 27 | 2.1% | $71,589 | 37 | 2.0% |
| Kansas | $87,052 | 37 | 4.7% | $60,505 | 37 | 2.2% | $57,634 | 48 | 1.8% |
| Kentucky | $81,062 | 44 | 4.0% | $54,556 | 47 | 6.0% | $66,651 | 39 | 5.8% |
| Louisianna | $76,009 | 51 | 2.7% | $54,807 | 46 | 9.0% | $92,988 | 21 | 0.2% |
| Maine | $89,056 | 34 | 5.8% | $64,944 | 30 | 9.0% | $94,943 | 17 | 2.5% |
| Maryland | $107,873 | 7 | 8.2% | $81,915 | 10 | 3.7% | $114,207 | 9 | 3.9% |
| Massachusetts | $106,333 | 9 | 4.2% | $68,646 | 23 | 0.5% | $134,664 | 1 | 3.6% |
| Michigan | $109,282 | 6 | 4.4% | $89,370 | 3 | 4.2% | $73,462 | 36 | 0.2% |
| Minnesota | $100,571 | 17 | 4.2% | $73,675 | 17 | -0.5% | $84,151 | 26 | 3.1% |
| Mississippi | $76,634 | 50 | 4.8% | $54,839 | 45 | 4.8% | $65,505 | 41 | 5.5% |
| Missouri | $85,002 | 40 | 5.0% | $62,769 | 34 | 0.1% | $98,071 | 16 | 3.2% |
| Montana | $80,210 | 46 | 0.6% | $54,006 | 49 | -0.3% | $57,978 | 47 | 4.3% |
| Nebraska | $92,448 | 30 | 3.0% | $65,721 | 28 | 2.5% | $75,639 | 34 | 3.1% |
| Nevada | $95,353 | 26 | 1.3% | $76,620 | 15 | 2.5% | - | - | - |
| New Hampshire | $95,765 | 25 | 0.6% | $73,273 | 19 | 3.2% | $128,354 | 4 | 9.7% |
| New Jersey | $125,749 | 2 | 3.9% | $82,268 | 9 | 2.2% | $133,711 | 2 | 3.8% |
| New Mexico | $86,891 | 38 | 8.0% | $61,605 | 36 | 9.6% | $83,617 | 27 | 7.9% |
| New York | $101,606 | 16 | 1.4% | $88,668 | 4 | 2.4% | $120,320 | 8 | 3.9% |
| North Carolina | $94,228 | 27 | 8.3% | $55,822 | 41 | 5.7% | $101,962 | 13 | 5.0% |
| North Dakota | $80,978 | 45 | 1.0% | $61,717 | 35 | 4.1% | $59,719 | 46 | 6.1% |
| Ohio | $99,909 | 19 | 3.1% | $72,184 | 21 | 3.0% | $80,709 | 30 | 2.8% |
| Oklahoma | $82,143 | 42 | 3.5% | $55,401 | 42 | 2.4% | $73,743 | 35 | -1.9% |
| Oregon | $96,909 | 23 | 3.9% | $84,653 | 7 | 4.0% | $86,236 | 24 | 4.8% |
| Pennsylvania | $103,951 | 13 | 2.9% | $73,536 | 18 | 0.5% | $106,143 | 11 | 4.0% |
| Rhode Island | $103,315 | 14 | 4.4% | $68,960 | 22 | 1.9% | $125,020 | 7 | 3.3% |
| South Carolina | $89,446 | 33 | 2.4% | $54,468 | 48 | 4.0% | $65,600 | 40 | 3.6% |
| South Dakota | $79,166 | 48 | 4.8% | $64,171 | 31 | 6.8% | $60,140 | 45 | 4.9% |
| Tennessee | $88,083 | 35 | 3.9% | $59,767 | 39 | 4.3% | $94,707 | 18 | 2.6% |
| Texas | $96,749 | 24 | 2.1% | $66,495 | 26 | 2.7% | $103,660 | 12 | 3.8% |
| Utah | $105,251 | 12 | 5.2% | $76,690 | 14 | 6.1% | $98,733 | 15 | 8.5% |
| Vermont | $87,749 | 36 | -0.6% | $68,420 | 24 | 5.7% | $94,154 | 20 | 5.5% |
| Virginia | $106,422 | 8 | 4.9% | $72,845 | 20 | 4.5% | $82,008 | 28 | 3.9% |
| Washington | $105,600 | 11 | 2.4% | $79,245 | 12 | 4.8% | $85,545 | 25 | 2.2% |
| District of Columbia | $83,296 | 41 | -4.3% | - | - | - | $125,154 | 6 | 4.8% |
| West Virginia | $79,990 | 47 | 3.9% | $54,922 | 44 | 3.6% | $53,373 | 49 | -0.4% |
| Wisconsin | $92,617 | 29 | 3.3% | $86,880 | 5 | 2.7% | $77,328 | 33 | 3.1% |
| Wyoming | $93,676 | 28 | 4.4% | $63,144 | 33 | 8.6% | - | - | - |
Learn More
Higher Education Faculty Pay
NEA examines post-pandemic faculty salaries in 2023.
Download the Report (pdf)
