How does your school’s faculty salary stack up compared to those at other schools across country?

As deeply motivated faculty may be about research or molding the young minds of America, it can be difficult to stay motivated when they don’t feel like their salary matches their passion. As squeamish as it can feel to speak about salary with colleagues, a new report dispels the elephant in the room.

“The State of Educator Pay in America” from The National Education Association explores higher education faculty salaries and the factors leading to pay discrepancies so that all stakeholders of higher education can have a more informed conversation about educators’ quality of life.

“Equipped with our educator pay data, we are able to negotiate and advocate for the better wages and benefits that our educators deserve,” wrote NEA in a tweet.

The average salary for full-time faculty was $93,914 for the 2021-22 academic year, and although this reflects a 2.1% increase over the previous year, they lost $4,837 in purchasing power due to inflation compared to 2020-21. Faculty at public, four-year institutions made slightly more at $96,414, while public, two-year institutions made significantly less at $74,173.

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Union power

Educators that resided in states with faculty unions and had contracts in place made up to $15,000 more compared to those who lived in states without unions at all.

Research Universities

• Institutions with faculty contacts: $107,142
• In states without faculty unions: $90,930

Two-year colleges

• Institutions with faculty contacts: $85,154
• In states without faculty unions: $60,390

Pay discrepancies

NEA found that women earned 85 cents to the dollar compared to men in public higher education institutions.

Similarly, HBCU educators earned 75 cents to the dollar compared to faculty at other institutions, or about $24,000 less.

“Paying educators attractive, competitive salaries is an important sign of respect,” wrote NEA in a tweet. “It acknowledges their value and vital importance and allows them to keep their focus on their students’ successes.”

Faculty Salary, ranked by state

Here is a list of all 50 states ranked by their respective average salaries for higher education faculty.

1. California – $121,071
2. New Jersey – $121,056
3. Delaware – $116,394
4. Hawaii – $110,204
5. Connecticut – $109,530
6. Michigan – $104,706
7. Washington – $103,101
8. Massachusetts – $102,048
9. Pennsylvania – $101,519
10. Virginia – $101,425
11. Iowa – $101,207
12. New York – $100,189
13. Florida – $100,126
14. Maryland – $99,713
15. Arizona – $99,098
16. Rhode Island – $98,997
17. Illinois – $97,392
18. Ohio – $96,972
19. Minnesota – $96,553
20. New Hampshire – $95,237
21. Texas – $94,781
22. Utah – $94,364
23. Nevada – $94,143
24. Oregon – $93,307
25. Indiana – $93,107
26. Colorado – $92,181
27. Nebraska – $89,770
28. Wyoming – $89,741
29. Wisconsin – $89,651
30. Vermont – $88,273
31. South Carolina – $87,379
32. D.C. – $87,026
33. North Carolina – $87,011
34. Alabama – $86,762
35. Tennessee – $85,032
36. Georgia – $84,655
37. Maine – $84,209
38. Alaska – $84,063
39. Kansas – $83,153
40. Missouri – $80,980
41. New Mexico – $80,444
42. North Dakota – $80,213
43. Montana – $79,719
44. Oklahoma – $79,342
45. Idaho – $78,392
46. Kentucky – $77,923
47. West Virginia – $76,407
48. South Dakota – $75,541
49. Arkansas – $74,163
50. Louisiana – $73,995
51. Mississippi – $73,096