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Assistant Professor vs Professor
In 2025, the median salary for Assistant Professor was $921 (0.7%) higher than for Professor: $136,831 against $135,910. Assistant Professor had 1,871 people on the list, Professor 9,117.
At a glance
| Assistant Professor | Professor | |
|---|---|---|
| People on the 2025 list | 1,871 | 9,117 |
| Median salary | $136,831 | $135,910 |
| Middle half | $123,161–$157,061 | $126,460–$195,837 |
| Highest salary | $371,399 | $509,014 |
| Total salaries | $269,376,207 | $1,457,409,151 |
| People, change | −1.4% vs 2024 | −3.0% vs 2024 |
| Median, change | +2.9% vs 2024 | +6.4% vs 2024 |
Median salary by year
Assistant ProfessorProfessor
Show as a table
| Year | Assistant Professor | Professor |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | $104,749 | |
| 1998 | $103,576 | $105,629 |
| 1999 | $109,793 | $105,484 |
| 2000 | $105,526 | $106,474 |
| 2001 | $104,417 | $107,047 |
| 2002 | $106,583 | $108,432 |
| 2003 | $111,823 | $111,532 |
| 2004 | $113,447 | |
| 2005 | $112,006 | $116,752 |
| 2006 | $110,699 | $120,507 |
| 2007 | $108,444 | $126,178 |
| 2008 | $109,412 | $129,655 |
| 2009 | $108,825 | $126,686 |
| 2010 | $110,265 | $131,436 |
| 2011 | $111,521 | $111,093 |
| 2012 | $112,455 | $111,392 |
| 2013 | $113,171 | $112,751 |
| 2014 | $113,885 | $113,629 |
| 2015 | $116,668 | $116,040 |
| 2016 | $116,882 | $112,537 |
| 2017 | $117,101 | $163,118 |
| 2018 | $118,485 | $115,264 |
| 2019 | $119,835 | $115,540 |
| 2020 | $121,473 | $118,049 |
| 2021 | $123,351 | $118,671 |
| 2022 | $124,162 | $120,125 |
| 2023 | $128,009 | $127,222 |
| 2024 | $132,960 | $127,753 |
| 2025 | $136,831 | $135,910 |
People on the list by year
Assistant ProfessorProfessor
Show as a table
| Year | Assistant Professor | Professor |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 167 | |
| 1998 | 6 | 256 |
| 1999 | 15 | 364 |
| 2000 | 17 | 615 |
| 2001 | 32 | 610 |
| 2002 | 34 | 783 |
| 2003 | 65 | 1,134 |
| 2004 | 1,666 | |
| 2005 | 156 | 1,778 |
| 2006 | 178 | 1,574 |
| 2007 | 298 | 1,808 |
| 2008 | 383 | 1,989 |
| 2009 | 535 | 2,699 |
| 2010 | 632 | 2,925 |
| 2011 | 766 | 4,013 |
| 2012 | 761 | 4,300 |
| 2013 | 703 | 4,336 |
| 2014 | 824 | 4,719 |
| 2015 | 867 | 5,289 |
| 2016 | 1,082 | 5,861 |
| 2017 | 1,050 | 3,547 |
| 2018 | 1,185 | 7,180 |
| 2019 | 1,288 | 7,094 |
| 2020 | 1,558 | 7,539 |
| 2021 | 1,652 | 7,761 |
| 2022 | 1,711 | 7,838 |
| 2023 | 1,800 | 9,142 |
| 2024 | 1,898 | 9,401 |
| 2025 | 1,871 | 9,117 |
Highest paid in 2025
Assistant Professor
| # | Name | Employer | Salary | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ting Xu | University Of Toronto | $371,399 | $210 |
| 2 | Stephen Thomas | Queen's University | $362,596 | $272 |
| 3 | Shelley Kierstead | York University | $309,881 | $956 |
| 4 | Chang-Yuan Lee | University Of Toronto | $293,315 | $126 |
| 5 | Daniel Sang Kim | University Of Waterloo | $283,885 | $1,314 |
Professor
| # | Name | Employer | Salary | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Timothy Snyder | University Of Toronto | $509,014 | $251 |
| 2 | Claudia Emerson | McMaster University | $498,075 | $517 |
| 3 | David Farrar | McMaster University | $483,140 | $5,366 |
| 4 | Muhammet Fat Guvenen | University Of Toronto | $466,989 | $3,509 |
| 5 | Salim Yusuf | McMaster University | $451,950 | $795 |
More comparisons
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Questions and answers
Which pays more, Assistant Professor or Professor?
By median salary in 2025, Assistant Professor: $136,831 against $135,910.
Which has more people on the list?
Professor: 9,117 against 1,871 in 2025.
How has the gap changed since 1998?
In 1998 the median for Assistant Professor was $103,576 and for Professor $105,629, a gap of $2,053; in 2025 the gap was $921.
What do these figures cover?
Only people paid $100,000 or more are on the list, so medians and counts describe them, not everyone with each title.
What does “salary paid” include?
What the employer paid in the calendar year, so it can include overtime, retroactive pay, vacation payouts, severance or a partial year. Taxable benefits are listed separately. How the lists work