How much does a business professor make?
a year · about $48 an hour
A typical business professor in the United States makes $99,080 a year, about $48 an hour, about 1.9× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
A business professor might teach accounting or marketing, lead a class discussion, then grade papers and meet students during office hours. At some colleges, the day also includes researching a business question and writing up the findings.
Did you know? Some business professors also provide professional advice to companies or government—not just teach students.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $47,180 and $209,470How do you become one?
Earn a business bachelor’s, then usually a doctorate for U.S. four-year colleges; some community colleges accept a master’s. Graduate teaching-assistant work builds experience; business professors generally need no state teaching license.
School needed: Graduate degree or long training
Good for people who like helping and teaching and figuring things out
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay differs with experience and academic rank, business specialty, and the school’s size or public/private status. Region and workload matter too: universities and professional schools tend to pay more than community colleges, and part-time professors may teach at several colleges.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Louisiana ($129,040), lowest in Mississippi ($75,680).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $47,180 | $99,080 | $209,470 | about 82,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $129,040 | about 640 |
| California | $128,470 | about 5,000 |
| District of Columbia | $128,370 | about 630 |
| Maryland | $126,560 | about 2,000 |
| Michigan | $111,190 | about 2,000 |
Official definition: Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/25-1011.00
- www.aacsb.edu/insights/reports/2026/2026-aacsb-trend-watch-faculty-salaries
- www.aacsb.edu/-/media/publications/data-reports/2026-faculty-salary-report-final
- career-center.aom.org/career-resources/on-the-job-3/case-method-teaching-a-pract
- www.tuw.edu/doctoral-programs/how-to-become-a-business-professor
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY