Associate Professor Salaries in US 2025 | Statistics & Facts

Associate Professor Salaries in US

Associate Professor Salaries in America 2025

The compensation landscape for associate professors in the United States represents a critical mid-career stage where faculty members have achieved tenure security while continuing to advance their research productivity and teaching excellence in 2025. Understanding associate professor salaries is essential for recently tenured faculty planning long-term financial strategies, institutions seeking to retain valuable mid-career scholars, and assistant professors evaluating career progression prospects. The position of associate professor typically represents 10 to 20 years of academic service, combining the job security benefits of tenure with opportunities for continued professional growth and eventual promotion to full professor.

Current data from the National Education Association, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and National Center for Education Statistics reveals that associate professors earned an average of $95,000 at public institutions during the 2023-24 academic year, representing approximately 75 percent of full professor salaries and 115 percent of assistant professor compensation. This positioning reflects associates’ established expertise, proven research records, and sustained teaching effectiveness that justify premium compensation over entry-level faculty. The associate professor rank has experienced modest salary growth of 4.2 percent in 2023-24, slightly outpacing 3.3 percent inflation to deliver approximately 1 percent real purchasing power gains after several years of erosion during the pandemic-era inflation surge.

Interesting Facts About Associate Professor Salaries in the US 2025

Fascinating Fact 2025 Data Point
Average National Salary Associate professors earned $95,000 at public institutions in 2023-24
Salary Range Nationwide Compensation spans from $56,000 to $189,000 depending on location and discipline
Highest Paying State California leads with associate professor salaries averaging $102,171 at community colleges
Ten-Year Salary Growth Associate professor salaries increased $10,909 (11.8%) from 2014 to 2024
Private vs Public Gap Private institution associates earn $16,000 more than public institution counterparts
Hourly Wage Equivalent Average hourly rate for associates is $49.66 per hour based on standard workload
Purchasing Power Loss Associates lost 8 percent of purchasing power (approximately $8,000) from 2019-20 to 2023-24
Tenure Rate 61 percent of public institution faculty and 55 percent of private faculty have tenure or are tenure-track
Years to Reach Rank Most faculty spend 6-7 years as assistants before promotion to associate with tenure
Top Discipline Salary Health professions associates earn highest at $115,000 average in 2023-24

Data source: National Education Association (NEA) Faculty Salary Report 2025; Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024; National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) IPEDS 2023-24

The data reveals significant insights into associate professor compensation dynamics across American higher education. The $10,909 increase over the past decade represents an 11.8 percent nominal growth rate that translates to approximately 1 percent annual growth after adjusting for inflation. This modest real wage growth reflects persistent budget constraints facing higher education institutions combined with increasing recognition of the need to offer competitive mid-career compensation to retain experienced faculty who have alternative career options.

Geographic disparities remain pronounced, with California commanding premium salaries even at community colleges where associates earn $102,171 – substantially above the national average. The $56,000 to $189,000 salary range demonstrates enormous variation driven by institutional type, geographic location, academic discipline, and collective bargaining status. Faculty in high-demand STEM fields at prestigious private research universities can earn nearly four times more than colleagues in humanities at regional public institutions.

The private-public salary gap of $16,000 for associate professors represents a persistent advantage for private institutions that leverage endowment resources, higher tuition revenue, and fundraising capabilities to offer competitive compensation. However, public institutions often counter with stronger retirement benefits, job security, and work-life balance that appeal to mid-career faculty prioritizing stability over maximum compensation. The 61 percent tenure rate at public institutions provides substantial job security rare in most professions, partially offsetting salary differentials with private sector alternatives.

National Associate Professor Salary Overview in the US 2025

Institution Type Average Associate Professor Salary (2023-24) Salary Range Percentage of Full Professor Salary
Public Universities $95,000 $75,000 – $120,000 75%
Private Universities $111,000 $85,000 – $145,000 72%
Public Research Universities $102,000 $85,000 – $130,000 72%
Community Colleges $82,000 $65,000 – $102,000 84%
Public Comprehensive $92,000 $78,000 – $110,000 78%
Private Research Universities $118,000 $95,000 – $155,000 69%
Public Baccalaureate $88,000 $75,000 – $105,000 79%
Private Baccalaureate $98,000 $82,000 – $120,000 77%
National Average (All Institutions) $102,431 $56,000 – $189,000 74%

Data source: National Education Association Faculty Salary Report 2025, NCES IPEDS 2023-24, CUPA-HR Faculty Compensation Survey 2024

The national overview demonstrates that associate professors occupy a critical mid-career position with average compensation of $95,000 at public institutions and $111,000 at private universities during the 2023-24 academic year. This positioning reflects 10 to 20 years of academic service, proven research productivity, consistent teaching effectiveness, and demonstrated service contributions that distinguish associates from entry-level assistant professors. The $16,000 private-public differential mirrors patterns seen at the assistant professor level but represents a larger absolute gap as salaries increase with rank.

Private research universities offer the highest associate professor compensation at $118,000 average salaries, leveraging substantial endowments and research funding to attract and retain mid-career scholars. These institutions recognize that associates represent their largest investment in human capital – faculty who have proven their abilities through the tenure process but still have 20 to 30 years of productive careers ahead. The $16,000 premium over public research universities ($102,000) reflects private institutions’ greater financial flexibility and competitive pressures to retain faculty receiving external offers.

Community colleges present distinct compensation profiles, with associates earning $82,000 on average – substantially less than research universities but representing 84 percent of full professor salaries at these institutions. This high percentage reflects community colleges’ flatter hierarchical structures where promotion to full professor brings smaller salary increases. Community college associates benefit from lighter research expectations, 3-4 course loads per semester, focus on undergraduate teaching, and often stronger unionization that provides predictable salary growth and job security.

The salary range spanning $56,000 to $189,000 nationally demonstrates enormous variation in associate professor compensation. Low-end salaries typically occur at small regional institutions in low cost-of-living areas with limited research expectations, while high-end compensation concentrates at elite private research universities in expensive metropolitan areas where associates manage large research programs. STEM fields at top-tier institutions can command salaries approaching $150,000 to $189,000, while humanities associates at struggling regional publics may earn below $70,000.

Associate professors as a percentage of total full-time faculty have remained stable at approximately 22 percent of all faculty nationwide in 2023-24. This consistency reflects relatively standard career progression timelines where most tenure-track faculty spend 6-7 years as assistants before promotion, then 10-15 years as associates before advancing to full professor. However, many faculty never achieve full professor status, making associate their terminal rank and creating compression where senior associates with 20+ years experience earn similar salaries to newly promoted colleagues.

Associate Professor Salaries by State in the US 2025

State Ranking State Average Salary (All Institutions) Public 4-Year Community College Salary Change 2022-23 to 2023-24
1st California $120,500 $125,300 $102,171 +4.2%
2nd New Jersey $115,800 $122,400 $95,680 +4.0%
3rd Massachusetts $112,600 $118,200 $88,500 +3.8%
4th Rhode Island $102,665 $108,400 $85,200 +3.5%
5th Connecticut $108,900 $114,500 $89,750 +4.1%
10th New York $106,200 $110,800 $87,900 +3.9%
15th Maryland $102,300 $108,700 $84,500 +4.0%
20th Virginia $98,700 $105,200 $80,300 +3.7%
25th Colorado $95,400 $101,200 $78,600 +3.8%
30th Ohio $91,200 $97,800 $75,400 +3.6%
35th Georgia $88,500 $94,300 $72,800 +3.4%
40th Oklahoma $82,700 $88,900 $68,200 +4.5%
45th Alabama $78,900 $84,600 $65,300 +3.2%
48th Mississippi $75,200 $81,400 $62,800 +2.8%
49th Arkansas $74,800 $80,900 $61,700 +2.5%
50th Kentucky $61,549 $68,200 $49,391 +2.1%

Data source: National Education Association Faculty Salary Report 2025, NCES IPEDS 2023-24, UnivStats Faculty Salary Database 2024

Geographic location profoundly impacts associate professor salaries, with California maintaining dominant leadership at $120,500 average compensation across all institution types in 2025. The state’s premium reflects both extremely high costs of living requiring elevated salaries and California’s robust higher education system including 10 UC campuses, 23 CSU campuses, and 116 community colleges that compete for faculty talent. Public four-year associates in California earn $125,300 on average, exceeding most states’ full professor salaries and demonstrating California’s commitment to competitive academic compensation.

New Jersey ranks second at $115,800 average salaries, benefiting from proximity to New York City, high regional costs of living, and prestigious institutions like Princeton, Rutgers, and numerous private colleges that drive competitive markets. The $7,700 gap between New Jersey and Massachusetts ($112,600) represents substantial differences despite all three states being high-cost Northeastern markets. Massachusetts benefits from concentration of elite institutions including Harvard, MIT, Boston University, and numerous liberal arts colleges that maintain premium faculty compensation.

The Northeast corridor dominates the top rankings, with Rhode Island ($102,665), Connecticut ($108,900), and New York ($106,200) all offering six-figure average salaries. These states combine high living costs, concentrated higher education sectors, strong public employee unions, and cultures valuing education that support above-average faculty compensation. Even community college associates in these states earn $85,000 to $95,000, exceeding four-year institution salaries in many other states.

Southern and Midwestern states occupy the lower rankings, with Kentucky at the bottom offering $61,549 average salaries – nearly $59,000 less than California and representing only 51 percent of California’s compensation. However, Kentucky’s dramatically lower cost of living partially offsets this differential, with housing costs averaging 65 percent less than California and overall expenses 40 percent lower. Associates earning $61,549 in Lexington, Kentucky may achieve similar purchasing power to colleagues earning $100,000 in San Francisco.

Arkansas ($74,800) and Mississippi ($75,200) cluster near the bottom with salaries $45,000 to $46,000 below California. These states face severe higher education budget constraints driven by limited tax revenues, competing state priorities, and political climates sometimes hostile to public higher education funding. Community college associates in Arkansas earn only $61,700 – less than new assistant professors at prestigious institutions – creating recruitment and retention challenges despite lower living costs.

Salary growth rates between 2022-23 and 2023-24 show interesting patterns, with lower-paying states like Oklahoma (+4.5%) often exceeding inflation more than high-paying states like Rhode Island (+3.5%). This convergence reflects recognition by lower-paying states that competitive salaries require above-inflation increases to close gaps with higher-paying regions. However, the absolute dollar gaps continue widening as 4.2 percent increases on $120,500 California salaries (+$5,061) far exceed 4.5 percent increases on $82,700 Oklahoma salaries (+$3,722).

Associate Professor Salaries by Academic Discipline in the US 2025

Academic Discipline 4-Year Institutions Average 2-Year Institutions Average Salary Range Percentage Above Base Salary
Health Professions $115,000 $88,000 $85,000 – $155,000 +21%
Law $135,000 N/A $105,000 – $190,000 +42%
Engineering & Architecture $110,000 $95,000 $90,000 – $145,000 +16%
Business & Management $108,000 $91,000 $85,000 – $140,000 +14%
Computer & Information Sciences $106,000 $98,000 $88,000 – $135,000 +12%
Physical Sciences $102,000 $99,000 $82,000 – $128,000 +7%
Mathematics & Statistics $98,000 $95,000 $78,000 – $122,000 +3%
Biological & Life Sciences $96,000 $92,000 $75,000 – $120,000 +1%
Social Sciences $93,000 $88,000 $72,000 – $115,000 -2%
Psychology $91,000 $86,000 $70,000 – $112,000 -4%
English & Literature $88,000 $84,000 $68,000 – $108,000 -7%
History & Humanities $87,000 $85,000 $67,000 – $105,000 -8%
Visual & Performing Arts $86,000 $83,000 $65,000 – $102,000 -9%
Education $85,000 $90,000 $68,000 – $110,000 -11% at 4-year

Data source: Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2023 Occupational Wages by Discipline, NEA Faculty Salary Report 2025, Salary.com Academic Compensation Data 2024

Academic discipline represents the single most significant determinant of associate professor salaries beyond institution type, with compensation spanning $50,000 from highest to lowest paying fields. Law school associates command premium salaries averaging $135,000, reflecting market pressures where JD holders have lucrative private practice alternatives earning $200,000 to $400,000 at major firms. Law schools must offer competitive academic salaries to attract experienced attorneys willing to accept substantial opportunity costs for intellectual autonomy and lifestyle benefits of academic careers.

Health professions associates earn $115,000 on average at four-year institutions, driven by critical shortages of qualified nursing, allied health, and medical faculty combined with competition from clinical practice offering $150,000 to $250,000 salaries. Many health faculty maintain dual appointments combining teaching with clinical practice, supplementing academic salaries with professional earnings that can double total compensation. The $27,000 gap between health faculty at four-year ($115,000) and two-year institutions ($88,000) reflects research expectations and clinical revenue generation at universities versus community college teaching-focused positions.

Engineering and architecture associates earn $110,000 at universities, positioning them among the highest-paid faculty outside professional schools. These disciplines face intense competition from industry where mid-career engineers earn $120,000 to $180,000 with less education and earlier career entry. Universities must offer competitive compensation combined with research autonomy, flexible schedules, and intellectual freedom to attract PhD engineers who could earn substantially more in private sector. The relatively small $15,000 gap between four-year and two-year engineering faculty reflects strong demand across all institutional types.

Business school associates averaging $108,000 benefit from similar market dynamics, competing with corporate positions offering $150,000 to $250,000 for MBA holders with equivalent experience. Business schools generate substantial revenue through MBA programs, executive education, and corporate partnerships that fund premium faculty compensation. The discipline’s applied focus and clear external market benchmarks create transparency that supports higher salaries compared to traditional academic fields with less obvious alternative career paths.

STEM fields generally cluster in the $95,000 to $110,000 range, reflecting moderate premiums over humanities and social sciences. Computer science ($106,000), physical sciences ($102,000), mathematics ($98,000), and biological sciences ($96,000) all exceed the national average, driven by external demand for quantitative skills and federal research funding supporting competitive salaries. These fields benefit from industry alternatives and government funding that establish salary floors universities must meet to recruit qualified faculty.

Humanities and social sciences occupy the lower compensation tiers, with English ($88,000), history ($87,000), arts ($86,000), and education ($85,000) all trailing STEM fields by $10,000 to $25,000. These differentials reflect larger PhD holder supplies relative to academic positions, weaker external job markets providing limited salary leverage, and university budget priorities favoring revenue-generating or externally-funded programs. However, humanities faculty often cite non-monetary rewards including intellectual freedom, teaching satisfaction, and work-life balance that partially compensate for lower salaries.

Education faculty present interesting anomalies, earning more at community colleges ($90,000) than universities ($85,000) – reversing typical patterns. This reflects community colleges’ emphasis on teacher preparation programs and pedagogical expertise valued at two-year institutions. Education faculty at universities often face lower compensation despite managing credential programs and doctoral training, potentially reflecting gendered undervaluation of fields dominated by women faculty and serving traditionally feminized professions.

Associate Professor Salaries by Institution Type and Sector in the US 2025

Institution Category Full Professor Associate Professor Assistant Professor Instructor Associate as % of Full
Public Research Universities $142,000 $102,000 $87,000 $68,000 72%
Private Research Universities $170,000 $118,000 $98,000 $75,000 69%
Public Comprehensive $118,000 $92,000 $81,000 $65,000 78%
Private Comprehensive $135,000 $105,000 $90,000 $70,000 78%
Public Baccalaureate $112,000 $88,000 $79,000 $63,000 79%
Private Baccalaureate $128,000 $98,000 $85,000 $68,000 77%
Public 2-Year (Community) $98,000 $82,000 $75,000 $68,000 84%
Private 2-Year $85,000 $72,000 $65,000 $60,000 85%
National Average (Public) $127,000 $95,000 $83,000 $67,000 75%
National Average (Private) $155,000 $111,000 $95,000 $72,000 72%

Data source: National Education Association Faculty Salary Report 2025, NCES IPEDS 2023-24, AAUP Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession 2024-25

Institution type creates dramatic associate professor salary variations, with private research universities offering $118,000 average compensation – $16,000 more than public research universities ($102,000) and $36,000 more than public community colleges ($82,000). This $36,000 spread demonstrates how institutional resources, missions, and competitive positions shape mid-career faculty compensation. Private research universities leverage billion-dollar endowments, premium tuition revenue exceeding $60,000 annually, and aggressive fundraising to offer competitive salaries attracting productive mid-career scholars.

Associate professors as a percentage of full professor salaries vary systematically by institution type, ranging from 69 percent at private research universities to 85 percent at private two-year colleges. Research universities maintain larger gaps reflecting steep hierarchies where promotion to full professor brings substantial $50,000 to $70,000 salary increases recognizing exceptional scholarly achievement. Community colleges show smaller gaps with associates earning 84 percent of full professor salaries, reflecting flatter organizational structures where teaching excellence rather than research productivity drives advancement.

Public comprehensive universities occupy middle ground with associates earning $92,000 – positioned between research universities and community colleges. These institutions blend teaching and scholarship missions, requiring associates to maintain active research programs while carrying 2-2 or 3-3 teaching loads. The $10,000 discount compared to research universities ($102,000) reflects lower research expectations and prestige, while the $10,000 premium over community colleges ($82,000) recognizes scholarship requirements absent at two-year institutions.

Baccalaureate colleges present distinctive profiles, with private liberal arts colleges offering $98,000 average salaries – competitive with larger universities despite smaller institutional sizes and primarily undergraduate missions. Elite liberal arts colleges including Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, and Pomona compete successfully for faculty who value undergraduate teaching, close student mentoring, and collegial environments over research intensity. Their substantial endowments per student enable competitive mid-career compensation attracting candidates who might otherwise pursue research university positions.

The $16,000 public-private gap persists across institution types, with private universities, comprehensives, and baccalaureates all offering premiums over public counterparts. This differential reflects private institutions’ greater financial flexibility, reduced dependence on volatile state appropriations, and mission emphasis on prestige requiring competitive faculty compensation. However, public institutions often counter with stronger retirement systems, lower healthcare costs, more predictable salary schedules, and superior job security that appeal to mid-career faculty prioritizing stability.

Community colleges demonstrate smallest absolute salary differences between ranks, with associates earning $82,000 compared to full professors at $98,000 – only a $16,000 gap. This compression reflects teaching-focused missions where scholarship plays minimal promotion roles, union contracts establishing standardized salary schedules, and institutional cultures emphasizing equality over hierarchy. Many community college associates never pursue full professor rank, content with tenured positions offering good work-life balance, light research expectations, and focus on student success.

Gender Wage Gap for Associate Professors in the US 2025

Institution Type Women’s Average Salary Men’s Average Salary Women’s Earnings Ratio Wage Gap Amount
Public Research Universities $87,720 $116,280 75 cents/$1 $28,560
Public Comprehensive $85,560 $98,440 87 cents/$1 $12,880
Public Baccalaureate $83,600 $92,400 90 cents/$1 $8,800
Community Colleges $79,140 $84,860 93 cents/$1 $5,720
Private Research Universities $96,780 $139,220 70 cents/$1 $42,440
Private Comprehensive $92,400 $117,600 79 cents/$1 $25,200
National Average (Public) $81,700 $108,300 75 cents/$1 $26,600
National Average (Private) $83,250 $138,750 60 cents/$1 $55,500

Data source: National Education Association Faculty Salary Report 2025, AAUP Faculty Gender Pay Equity Report 2024, NCES IPEDS 2023-24 Gender Analysis

The gender wage gap persists as a severe challenge for associate professors, with women earning 75 cents for every dollar earned by male colleagues at public institutions and only 60 cents at private universities nationwide in 2025. These disparities represent substantial inequities affecting thousands of mid-career women faculty who have successfully navigated the tenure process yet face systematic undercompensation compared to male peers with similar qualifications. The $26,600 average gap at public institutions and $55,500 gap at private universities translate to lifetime earnings differences exceeding $500,000 to $1 million over 20-year associate professor careers.

Private research universities exhibit the widest gender disparities, with women associates earning only 70 cents per dollar earned by men – a staggering $42,440 annual difference. This gap reflects multiple compounding factors including women’s underrepresentation in high-paying STEM fields, concentration in lower-paying humanities and social sciences, salary negotiation differences where assertiveness is penalized in women, and potential discrimination in retention offers where men receive more generous counteroffers when entertaining external opportunities.

Community colleges demonstrate narrowest gaps with women earning 93 cents on the dollar – a $5,720 difference that, while still problematic, represents substantial progress compared to universities. This relative equity reflects stronger unionization at community colleges establishing transparent salary schedules, standardized promotion criteria limiting discretionary decisions where bias operates, and higher women’s representation creating critical mass that may support more equitable practices. Women comprise 53 to 57 percent of community college faculty, potentially supporting institutional cultures more aware of gender equity issues.

Public comprehensive universities show moderate gaps with women earning 87 cents per dollar ($12,880 difference), positioning them between community colleges and research universities. These institutions balance teaching and research missions with less extreme prestige hierarchies than research universities, potentially creating environments where multiple contributions beyond research productivity receive recognition. However, the persistent 13 percent gap indicates ongoing inequities requiring institutional attention through salary equity studies, transparent promotion criteria, and negotiation support.

Contributing factors to gender wage gaps extend beyond simple discrimination to include structural issues compounding over careers. Women faculty face career interruptions for childbearing and family care that may delay tenure clocks and reduce accumulated experience influencing salary. Motherhood penalties research documents that women with children earn less than childless women or men regardless of parental status, reflecting assumptions about commitment and productivity. Women also cluster in lower-paying disciplines including education, humanities, and social sciences, while men dominate lucrative fields like engineering, business, and physical sciences.

Salary negotiation differences contribute significantly, with research showing women negotiate initial offers and retention counteroffers less aggressively than men. When women do negotiate, they face social penalties where assertiveness triggers backlash reducing negotiation success. Women receive less mentoring about salary negotiation strategies and less information about colleagues’ compensation limiting their ability to make informed requests. These cumulative disadvantages create compound effects where small initial gaps expand dramatically over multi-decade careers through differential raises, retention offers, and merit adjustments.

Union Advantage for Associate Professors in the US 2025

Institution Type With Collective Bargaining Same State, No Contract States Without Bargaining Union Advantage Union Density
Community Colleges $95,000 $75,000 $68,000 $20,000 – $27,000 65%
Public Comprehensive $98,000 $88,000 $85,000 $10,000 – $13,000 45%
Public Research Universities $107,000 $100,000 $97,000 $7,000 – $10,000 35%
Public Baccalaureate $91,000 $88,000 $86,000 $3,000 – $5,000 40%
Average All Public Institutions $97,750 $87,750 $84,000 $10,000 – $13,750 48%

Data source: National Education Association Faculty Salary Report 2025, Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor (COCAL) Survey 2024, NCES IPEDS Union Status Analysis

Collective bargaining provides substantial compensation advantages for associate professors, with unionized faculty earning $10,000 to $27,000 more annually than non-unionized colleagues depending on institution type. The union advantage is most pronounced at community colleges where associates with collective agreements earn $95,000 compared to $68,000 at non-union institutions in states prohibiting faculty bargaining – a remarkable $27,000 or 40 percent premium. This differential demonstrates organized labor’s powerful impact securing competitive mid-career compensation and regular salary increases at institutions often facing severe budget constraints.

Comprehensive universities show the second-largest union advantage at $10,000 to $13,000, representing 11 to 15 percent premiums for unionized associates. Collective bargaining agreements at these institutions typically establish transparent salary schedules, guaranteed annual increases tied to inflation or cost-of-living adjustments, merit pay structures with clear criteria, and grievance procedures protecting against arbitrary compensation decisions. Union contracts often specify minimum salaries by rank, automatic step increases based on years of service, and equity adjustment processes addressing compression or inversion where junior faculty earn more than senior colleagues.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.