The average salary for a professor in Kentucky is around $61,450 per year.
Avg Salary
Professors earn an average yearly salary of $61,450.
Wages typically start from $37,170 and go up to $104,060.
2% above national average Updated in 2025
Professor earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level professor earnings begin at:
$50.03 per hour
$104,060 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level professor earnings begin at:
$38.87 per hour
$80,840 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level professor earnings begin at:
$29.54 per hour
$61,450 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level professor earnings begin at:
$22.08 per hour
$45,930 per year
10th percentile
Starting level professor earnings begin at:
$17.87 per hour
$37,170 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Professor salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | $83,710 |
| New York | $82,020 |
| District of Columbia | $80,810 |
| Connecticut | $80,620 |
| Rhode Island | $80,030 |
| Massachusetts | $79,980 |
| Michigan | $79,910 |
| Minnesota | $78,950 |
| Nebraska | $78,950 |
| Maryland | $78,820 |
| Arizona | $78,520 |
| Vermont | $78,100 |
| New Jersey | $77,600 |
| North Dakota | $77,540 |
| Utah | $77,090 |
| Virginia | $77,060 |
| Maine | $77,050 |
| Washington | $75,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $74,910 |
| Wisconsin | $74,790 |
| Alaska | $74,770 |
| Arkansas | $74,500 |
| Delaware | $74,460 |
| Nevada | $74,240 |
| Oregon | $73,880 |
| Tennessee | $72,390 |
| Montana | $70,320 |
| North Carolina | $70,050 |
| Texas | $68,280 |
| Colorado | $66,870 |
| South Carolina | $66,690 |
| Wyoming | $66,350 |
| Indiana | $66,150 |
| Missouri | $65,910 |
| Idaho | $65,720 |
| New Mexico | $64,830 |
| Alabama | $63,730 |
| Florida | $63,640 |
| South Dakota | $63,350 |
| West Virginia | $63,270 |
| Kansas | $63,010 |
| Georgia | $62,510 |
| Ohio | $62,400 |
| Iowa | $62,090 |
| Mississippi | $61,860 |
| Illinois | $61,560 |
| Kentucky | $61,450 |
| Oklahoma | $60,880 |
| Hawaii | $49,800 |
| New Hampshire | $49,250 |
| Puerto Rico | $47,170 |
| California | $111,850 |
How do professor salaries compare to similar careers?
Professors earn about the same as related careers in Kentucky. On average, they make less than nurse educators but more than kindergarten teachers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Nurse educator salary | $72K |
| Physical education teacher salary | $65K |
| Music teacher salary | $64K |
| Health educator salary | $65K |
| Professor salary | $61K |
| Librarian salary | $65K |
| School counselor salary | $64K |
| High school teacher salary | $62K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $61K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $60K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)