Professor / College Faculty
Also known as: College Professor, University Professor, Academic, Faculty Member, Lecturer
Teach courses, conduct original research, mentor students, and publish findings at colleges and universities.
Salary Range
The highest-paid specialization or seniority level for professor / college facultys.
About 1 in 1,000 reaches this level
About 1.37M postsecondary teachers in the US; endowed chairs at elite business, law, or medical schools earning $500K+ total comp number roughly 1,000-1,500.
Salary data based on 2025 BLS, Glassdoor, and industry reports. Actual compensation varies by location, experience, and employer.
How to Become One
This career typically requires a doctoral/professional degree. Here are the top colleges for it:
AI Risk Assessment
Professors face AI headwinds from multiple directions. AI tutoring handles instructional delivery, AI grading reduces TA needs, and AI research tools reduce support staff required. Nearly 70% of faculty positions are already part-time/adjunct. AI could justify larger class sizes and fewer sections, disproportionately hitting new hires. BLS projects 7% growth with 114,000 annual openings, but the academic job market was already brutal before AI — AI is making a bad situation worse.
Sources
Ratings reflect a 10-year outlook based on 2025-2026 research, weighted toward entry-level impact. Individual outcomes will vary.
Related Careers
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