Here’s the deal: academic ranks are complicated.
For those who are thinking of joining academia through a master’s degree or a doctoral program, professors rankings can be downright confusing.
To help lessen this confusion, we will reveal the different types of professors (and what makes each position unique).
Academic ranks: an overview
The following table ranks the different types of professors and gives an average salary estimates for each position.
| Rank | Academic Rank | Salary Per Hour | Salary Per Year |
| 7 | Teaching Assistant | $16 | $24,000 |
| 6 | Visiting Professor | $33 | $37,500 |
| 5 | Assistant Professor | $45 | $77,493 |
| 4 | Associate Professor | $46 | $87,761 |
| 3 | Full Professor | $59 | $96,820 |
| 2 | Endowed Professor | – | $253,755 |
| 1 | Distinguished Professor | – | $226,270 |
| Retired | Professor Emeritus | $44 | $46,366 |
Frequently asked questions
In an effort to make each answer readable, I published seperate articles for the most common questions about professor rankings:
- What are the differences between assistant, associate, and full professors?
- What is an endowed professor?
- What makes a professor distinguished?
- What is a professor emeritus?
- Email Etiquette: How should I address my professors?
Read all my articles about professors on this page.