A college lecturer, sometimes called an academic, is a professor who works at a college or university. These professionals are needed to serve in many capacities within their universities including teaching, research and public outreach.
The salary for a college lecturer can vary widely, depending on the institution and location.
On average, a college lecturer earns $50,000 to $80,000 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The median salary for postsecondary teachers is $75,000—a number that rises to nearly $91,000 for those with a doctoral degree.
Salary for college lecturer
A person working as a Lecturer in United States typically earns around 131,000 USD per year. Salaries range from 63,100 USD (lowest) to 206,000 USD (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Lecturer salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Lecturer Salary Distribution in United States
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
- Salary RangeLecturer salaries in United States range from 63,100 USD per year (minimum salary) to 206,000 USD per year (maximum salary).
- Median SalaryThe median salary is 137,000 USD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Lecturer(s) are earning less than 137,000 USD while the other half are earning more than 137,000 USD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
- PercentilesClosely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Lecturer(s) are earning less than 89,900 USD while 75% of them are earning more than 89,900 USD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Lecturer(s) are earning less than 178,000 USD while 25% are earning more than 178,000 USD.
Lecturer Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Lecturer salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Lecturer with less than two years of experience makes approximately 73,900 USD per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 105,000 USD per year, 42% more than someone with less than two year’s experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 138,000 USD per year, 31% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Lecturer(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 169,000 USD per year, 23% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 180,000 USD per year, 6% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 197,000 USD per year, 10% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Lecturer average salary change by experience in United States
| 0 – 2 Years | 73,900 USD | |
| 2 – 5 Years | +42% | 105,000 USD |
| 5 – 10 Years | +31% | 138,000 USD |
| 10 – 15 Years | +23% | 169,000 USD |
| 15 – 20 Years | +6% | 180,000 USD |
| 20+ Years | +10% | 197,000 USD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Lecturer Salary Comparison By Education
How do education levels affect salaries?
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Lecturer salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Master’s Degree, the average salary of a Lecturer is 94,600 USD per year.
While someone with a PhD gets a salary of 166,000 USD per year, 76% more than someone having a Master’s Degree degree.
Lecturer average salary difference by education level in United States
| Master’s Degree | 94,600 USD | |
| PhD | +76% | 166,000 USD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
