Professor salaries
Higher Education Salary Report 2026
Academic Jobs, the higher education salary benchmark, based on 226,767 university job posts since January 1, 2026, drawn from millions of historical job posts. Compare faculty salary, university salary, and higher ed wages a professor can be paid now.
Professor salary by country
Higher education salary report 2026
A full professor in the United States is paid $163,836 a year on the latest national average. That faculty salary is the academic-year university salary, excluding summer pay. The table shows what a professor can be paid now in other countries. Higher ed wages in some rows are national averages and in others the bottom of a current pay scale, so they are not one ranking. Staff and admin pay is listed with university salaries. University salaries
| Länder | Pay now | What this is | Approximate USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vereinigte Staaten | $163,836 | National average, academic year | $163,836 |
| Australien | A$225,458–A$247,295 | Professor scale minimum, from 1 July 2026 | $158,000–$173,300 |
| Vereinigtes Königreich | £76,325–£83,800 | Professor scale minimum, from 1 August 2026 | $102,200–$112,200 |
| Germany | €96,341 | State base salary, before allowances | $108,300 |
| Neuseeland | NZ$169,279–NZ$190,294 | Professor scale minimum, 2026 agreements | $96,300–$108,200 |
| Südafrika | R1,506,416–R1,673,796 | Stellenbosch professor band, January 2025 | $92,000–$102,200 |
| Japanisch | ¥9.85 million | Faculty average, all ranks | $62,400 |
China is not in this comparison. No 2026 professor salary figure checked out against a primary source. China salaries
Salaries by country
A
B
C
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Kanada
- Canary Islands
- Cape Verde
- Caribbean Netherlands
- Cayman Islands
- Central African Republic
- Ceuta & Melilla
- Chad
- Chile
- Chinas
- Christmas Island
- Clipperton Island
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo - Brazzaville
- Congo - Kinshasa
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Cyprus
- Czechia
F
G
M
N
O
P
S
- Samoa
- San Marino
- São Tomé & Príncipe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapur
- Sint Maarten
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- Südafrika
- South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- St. Barthélemy
- St. Helena
- St. Kitts & Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Martin
- St. Pierre & Miquelon
- St. Vincent & Grenadines
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Svalbard & Jan Mayen
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
T
U
If US faculty pools stay near the 2.5% already set for 1 January 2027, the full-professor average would be about $168,000. That 2027 figure is a projection, not a published average. The UK 2% award and the Australia and New Zealand steps in the table are already in today’s pay. The next national rise in those countries is not agreed. The last US result was slightly down in real terms, because prices rose 2.7% while average salaries rose 2.3%.
Sources
- Vereinigte Staaten · AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey, 2025–26
- Australien · University of Queensland · UNSW
- Vereinigtes Königreich · UCEA, 2 October 2026 · University of Bristol · UCL
- Germany · W3 base pay, 2026/27
- Neuseeland · University of Auckland · University of Waikato
- Südafrika · Stellenbosch University, January 2025
- Japanisch · MEXT, June 2026
Kyoto University’s annual-salary professor duty pay is ¥7.2 million from 1 April 2026, before incentive pay.
Professor salary by rank
In the United States, college professor salary follows rank. These faculty pay figures are the latest national averages, and the full professor amount matches the United States row above. Other countries do not use assistant, associate, and full professor the same way, so this is not a global academic salary scale.
Assistant professor salary
$97,232
US average
Associate professor salary
$113,427
US average
Full professor salary
$163,836
US average
What changes faculty pay
The same title does not pay the same everywhere. These are the differences that move a faculty salary before you negotiate.
Academic rank
Assistant, associate, and full professor wages rise with title.
Feld
STEM fields often command a higher faculty salary than humanities.
Standort
City and country change the university wage, and cost of living changes what it buys.
Institution type
Research universities typically pay more than teaching-focused colleges.
Pay beyond base salary
Base salary is only part of higher ed wages. Health insurance, retirement contributions, and research funding change the offer. Some faculty add consulting, grants, or sell teaching materials. A strong teaching record can support a promotion case. Public reviews do not set the salary. Teachers Pay Teachers · Bewerten Sie meinen Lehrer
Compare a real offer
Use these professor salary figures when you negotiate, or look at open faculty jobs and staff university salaries.
Frequently asked questions about professor salaries
What is the average professor salary in the US?
In the United States, the average full professor salary is $163,836 for the academic year. Associate professors average $113,427, and assistant professors $97,232. Summer pay is not included. US salaries
How do assistant, associate, and full professor salaries compare?
On the US averages on this page, assistant professor salary is $97,232, associate professor salary is $113,427, and full professor salary is $163,836. Other countries do not use these ranks the same way.
How do professor salaries compare by country?
The rows are not one ranking. The United States figure is a national average. Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand show the bottom of a professor pay scale in force now, so a typical professor there is paid at or above that floor. Germany is a state base before allowances. Open a country page for local faculty pay.
What changes higher ed wages?
Higher ed wages move with academic rank, field, location, and institution type. STEM fields often pay more than humanities, and research universities typically pay more than teaching-focused colleges.
What do adjuncts and lecturers earn?
In the United States, the average lecturer salary is $84,292 for the academic year. This survey does not publish a per-course adjunct professor salary. Adjunct pay is usually below that lecturer average. Use the country salary pages for local university wages.
How can professors earn extra income?
Beyond base salary, offers can include health insurance, retirement contributions, and research funding. Some faculty add consulting, grants, or sell teaching materials. A strong teaching record can support a promotion case. Public reviews do not set the salary scale. Teachers Pay Teachers · Bewerten Sie meinen Lehrer