According to preliminary findings from AAUP's annual Faculty Compensation Survey, average salaries for full-time faculty members across all ranks rose by 3.8% in fall 2024, matching the increase seen in the previous year.
The salary growth varied by institution type, with public institutions showing the strongest gains at 3.9%, followed by private-independent institutions at 3.6%, and religiously affiliated institutions at 3.0%.
When adjusted for inflation, real wages for faculty increased by 0.6%, marking the second consecutive year that wage growth has outpaced inflation. However, the report emphasizes that faculty salaries have still not returned to their pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. The Consumer Price Index for Urban consumers (CPI-U) increased by 2.9% in 2024 and 3.4% in 2023.
Faculty members who remained employed at the same institution from fall 2023 to fall 2024 saw more substantial gains, with a nominal increase of 4.7% and a real increase of 1.8% after accounting for inflation.
The survey collected data from more than 800 U.S. colleges and universities, representing approximately 370,000 full-time and 90,000 part-time faculty members. The participating institutions included about 225 doctoral universities, 320 regional universities, 180 liberal arts colleges, 80 community colleges, and 175 minority-serving institutions.
The AAUP plans to release complete analyses of this year's results in the forthcoming "Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession 2024–25," scheduled for online publication in June and print publication in August.
Detailed institutional data can be explored through the AAUP's interactive data website at https://data.aaup.org, which allows users to filter results by region, state, institution size, and other variables.
