How much does a CS professor make?
a year · about $47 an hour
A typical CS professor in the United States makes $96,980 a year, about $47 an hour, about 1.9× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
They prepare course materials, teach programming or data-structure lessons, and grade assignments, labs, and exams. Between classes, they advise students in office hours and may work with students or colleagues on research.
Did you know? A surprising US fact: O*NET reports that 57% of computer science professors say their typical workweek is over 40 hours.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $49,460 and $170,200How do you become one?
In the US, a common path is a computer science bachelor’s degree followed by a Ph.D.; some community colleges accept a master’s. Teaching or related work experience can help, and college faculty generally do not need a 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 US, pay varies with experience and seniority, school type (such as a university or community college), location, and full- or part-time workload. Specialty and added duties, such as research or leading a department, can matter too.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in California ($128,210), lowest in Florida ($76,950).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $49,460 | $96,980 | $170,200 | about 35,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $128,210 | about 2,000 |
| Massachusetts | $128,030 | about 1,000 |
| Utah | $124,460 | about 550 |
| Michigan | $107,690 | about 810 |
| Oregon | $107,310 | about 530 |
Official definition: Teach courses in computer science. May specialize in a field of computer science, such as the design and function of computers or operations and research analysis. 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/summary/25-1021.00
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/25-1021.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes251021.htm
- www.wes.org/resource-library/blog/career-pathway/postsecondary-teacher-professor
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY