How much does a cs professor make?
Answer: A typical cs professor in the United States makes $96,980 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 35,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
CS professor pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| 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 |
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.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a cs professor do?
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.
What's a typical day like?
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.
How to get this job
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.
Graduate degree or long training (preparation level 5 of 5)
Good for people who like helping and teaching and figuring things out.
Did you know?
A surprising US fact: O*NET reports that 57% of computer science professors say their typical workweek is over 40 hours.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Educational Instruction and Library jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
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