How much does a Professor make in the USA? The average professor salary in the USA is $70,000 per year or $33.60 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $55,000 per year while most experienced workers make up to $119,000 per year.
| Job Title | Average Annual Salaries |
|---|---|
| Assistant Professor | 85,000 USD |
| Associate Professor | 97,000 USD |
| Professor | 142,000 USD |
| Lecturer | 131,000 USD |
In general, the average pay is between roughly $64,000 and $123,000 per year. Education professors are at the low end of the salary range, typically earning less than $65,000 a year. The highest-paid are those who teach law; their expertise can net an annual salary of over $120,000.
While most universities and 4-year colleges require full-time professors to hold a doctorate in their given field to teach and/or conduct research, other postsecondary teachers may be hired with a master's degree or lower.
According to AcademicJobs data, gathered over the entire year of 2023, the average annual pay for a Harvard Professor in the United States is $75,000 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $36.15 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,440/week or $6,280/month.
It can take many years of hard work and persistent efforts to become a college professor. For a full-time position as a professor, you must complete a three-year or four-year bachelor's degree, a two-year master's degree, and pass state or national-level competitive exams.
Becoming a college professor isn't easy. Professors generally need a doctorate for entry-level positions. Most professors dedicate a decade to their postsecondary education before teaching their first class.
Colleges and universities can hire international employees as professors and/or researchers by sponsoring them for permanent residence in the US. There is a special immigration pathway for teaching positions.