Faculty statistics describe a profession shaped by differences in rank, institution type, tenure status, gender, race and ethnicity, and academic field. The latest figures below place those differences in context using NCES data for 2022–23 and fall 2022, GAO data for fiscal years 2003–2021 and 2011–2021, and BLS data from May 2024.
Table of contents
- Faculty salaries
- Pay by institution and rank
- Tenure systems and tenure rates
- Faculty diversity
- Long-term diversity trends
- Employment and occupational outlook
Faculty salaries
In 2022–23, the average salary for full-time instructional faculty on 9-month contracts was $97,716 across all institutions, measured in constant 2022–23 dollars. This is the broadest salary benchmark in the NCES series and is useful for understanding the overall level of faculty pay without treating any single campus or discipline as representative. NCES Digest of Education Statistics, Table 316.20
The same NCES table reports an average of $105,772 for male faculty and $88,995 for female faculty in 2022–23. Those figures describe average salaries across all institutions and ranks; they should not be read as a comparison of otherwise identical jobs. Rank, institution type, field, contract, and other characteristics can affect averages.
Average salary also varied by academic rank in 2022–23:
- Professors averaged $135,344.
- Associate professors averaged $95,934.
- Assistant professors averaged $82,520.
- Instructors averaged $75,331.
- Lecturers averaged $71,234.
- Faculty without rank averaged $68,683.
These rank-based figures are in constant 2022–23 dollars. The difference between a professor average and a lecturer average is therefore a comparison of reported group averages, not a forecast of an individual’s future earnings. The rank categories also are not interchangeable with tenure categories.
The long-term NCES comparison shows a more modest change in inflation-adjusted average salary than a simple nominal comparison might suggest. From 2012–13 to 2022–23, the average salary for all full-time instructional faculty rose from $93,900 to $97,716, both expressed in constant 2022–23 dollars. NCES Condition of Education, Postsecondary Faculty
Pay by institution and rank
Institutional control and level are important context for faculty salary statistics. In 2022–23, the average salary was $93,959 at public institutions, $106,958 at private nonprofit institutions, and $66,309 at private for-profit institutions. These are all-institution averages within the reported control categories. NCES Digest of Education Statistics, Table 316.20
The available NCES figures show how averages differed among institution-level groups:
| Institution group | Average salary in 2022–23 |
|---|---|
| Public 4-year doctoral | $105,266 |
| Public 4-year master’s | $82,151 |
| Public 4-year other | $76,061 |
| Public 2-year | $77,882 |
| Private nonprofit 4-year doctoral | $122,484 |
| Private nonprofit 4-year master’s | $79,195 |
| Private nonprofit 4-year other | $83,784 |
| Private nonprofit 2-year | $69,111 |
The highest listed average in this comparison was $122,484 at private nonprofit 4-year doctoral institutions. The lowest was $69,111 at private nonprofit 2-year institutions. Both values are averages for their respective groups and are reported in constant 2022–23 dollars; they do not describe every faculty member at those institutions.
NCES also reports salary gaps by rank for 2022–23. The male–female average salary gap was $20,400 for professors, $7,100 for associate professors, $7,200 for assistant professors, $5,200 for lecturers, and $3,300 for instructors. NCES Condition of Education, Postsecondary Faculty These gap figures are rounded source-reported comparisons, so they should be kept separate from the all-faculty averages above.
Tenure systems and tenure rates
Tenure statistics measure a different dimension of faculty work from salary statistics. In 2022–23, 57 percent of degree-granting postsecondary institutions had tenure systems. The share varied sharply by institution type, from 1 percent of private for-profit institutions to 99 percent of public doctoral institutions. NCES Condition of Education, Postsecondary Faculty
Among full-time faculty at institutions that had tenure systems, 44 percent had tenure in 2022–23. The comparison point was 49 percent in 2011–12, meaning the share fell by 5 percentage points over that period. This denominator matters: the 44 percent figure concerns full-time faculty at institutions with tenure systems, not all faculty at every degree-granting institution.
The trend differed by institutional control. From 2011–12 to 2022–23, the tenure share fell from 31 percent to 9 percent at private for-profit institutions, from 51 percent to 46 percent at public institutions, and from 44 percent to 39 percent at private nonprofit institutions. NCES Condition of Education, Postsecondary Faculty
Gender differences were also reported for 2022–23. At institutions with tenure systems, 53 percent of male full-time faculty had tenure, compared with 40 percent of female full-time faculty. These percentages describe tenure status within the specified population; they do not establish why the difference exists.
Faculty diversity
NCES reported the racial and ethnic composition of full-time faculty in fall 2022. White faculty accounted for 72 percent of full-time faculty, including 35 percent White females and 37 percent White males. Asian faculty accounted for 13 percent, including 6 percent Asian females and 7 percent Asian males.
Other reported groups included 7 percent Black faculty, made up of 4 percent Black females and 3 percent Black males, and 6 percent Hispanic faculty, made up of 3 percent Hispanic females and 3 percent Hispanic males. NCES Condition of Education, Postsecondary Faculty
NCES reported 1 percent of full-time faculty as people of two or more races in fall 2022. American Indian/Alaska Native faculty and Pacific Islander faculty each represented less than one-half of 1 percent. Because these are rounded percentages, small categories may not sum perfectly when combined or compared.
Representation also differed by rank. In fall 2022, 39 percent of professor-rank faculty were White males, compared with 33 percent of nonprofessor-rank faculty. Asian males represented 8 percent of professor-rank faculty and 5 percent of nonprofessor-rank faculty. NCES Condition of Education, Postsecondary Faculty These comparisons use the source’s professor-rank and nonprofessor-rank groupings.
Long-term diversity trends
GAO provides a longer time frame for examining faculty diversity. From fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year 2021, the share of women faculty increased from about 43.5 percent to about 51.6 percent, an increase of about 8.1 percentage points. Over the same period, the share of women students rose from about 57.1 percent to about 58.2 percent, an increase of about 1.2 percentage points. GAO-24-105516, Faculty Diversity in Higher Education
GAO reported the following changes in faculty shares from fiscal year 2003 to fiscal year 2021:
- Asian faculty increased by about 3.0 percentage points, from 5.1 percent to 8.0 percent.
- Black faculty increased by about 2.0 percentage points, from 5.6 percent to 7.6 percent.
- Hispanic faculty increased by about 2.3 percentage points, from 4.4 percent to 6.8 percent.
- Native American faculty remained at about 0.5 percent.
These figures describe changes over the GAO period and should not be substituted for the fall 2022 NCES snapshot. The periods, measures, and reporting contexts are different.
GAO also reported that, from fiscal years 2011 through 2021, faculty or other employees filed about 20,000 complaints alleging employment discrimination at an institution of higher education. GAO-24-105516, Faculty Diversity in Higher Education This is a count of complaints over the stated period, not a count of substantiated claims or a measure of the prevalence of discrimination.
Employment and occupational outlook
BLS reported a median annual wage of $83,980 for postsecondary teachers in May 2024. The median differs from the NCES average salary measures because it uses a different source, population definition, compensation measure, and reference period. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Postsecondary Teachers
Within selected institution settings, May 2024 median annual wages were $91,310 for postsecondary teachers in private colleges, universities, and professional schools; $87,310 in local junior colleges; $85,650 in state colleges, universities, and professional schools; and $64,600 in state junior colleges. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Postsecondary Teachers
BLS projected overall employment of postsecondary teachers to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, compared with 3 percent for all occupations over the same period. The projection is an estimate of employment growth, not a guarantee of hiring for a particular discipline, location, or institution. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Postsecondary Teachers
The May 2024 number of jobs varied across selected teaching fields. BLS reported 65,230 mathematics teachers, postsecondary, 66,010 computer science teachers, postsecondary, 84,540 business teachers, postsecondary, 62,370 nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary, and 136,770 health specialties teachers, postsecondary. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Postsecondary Teachers
These field counts show the scale of selected occupational groups at that measurement point. They are not forecasts, and they should not be interpreted as rankings of salary, job quality, or future demand. Together with the projected 7 percent overall growth rate, they provide a baseline for teaching guides that need to distinguish current employment size from projected change.