Faculty Salary By Academic Rank at Cornell University
The 2025 average faculty salary is $163,558 at Cornell University across all academic ranks. Cornell's faculty salary increased by 3.96% compared to the 2024 salary.
At Cornell University, by academic rank:
- The average professor salary is $216,085, representing a 4.05% increase from the previous year (+$8,402).
- The average associate professor salary is $150,445, representing a 3.14% increase from the previous year (+$4,578).
- The average assistant professor salary is $133,443, representing a 2.55% increase from the previous year (+$3,314).
- The average instructor salary is $59,190, representing a -38.18% decrease from the previous year (-$36,561).
- The average lecturer salary is $96,949, representing a 5.46% increase from the previous year (+$5,018).
Average Salary by Academic Rank Chart
This chart summarizes average faculty salary by academic rank at Cornell University for the most recent year and the prior year.
The side-by-side bars compare current versus previous salaries for each rank, while the line shows the percentage change to highlight increases, decreases, or no change.
Faculty Salary By Gender
The following tables show the average faculty salary by academic rank and gender at Cornell University.
At Cornell, the average male faculty's salary is $176,714 and female faculty's is $145,854. The difference in salary between male and female faculty $30,860, with male faculty' annual salary being 21.16% higher than that of female faculty.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $163,558 +$6,230 (3.96%) |
$176,714 +$6,296 (3.69%) |
$145,854 +$6,903 (4.97%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $171,081 +$5,981 (3.62%) |
$184,322 +$6,885 (3.88%) |
$151,735 +$5,426 (3.71%) |
| 10-Month Contract | No Faculty with 10-Month Contract | ||
| 11-Month Contract | No Faculty with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $167,446 +$10,123 (6.43%) |
$171,329 +$3,115 (1.85%) |
$163,961 +$16,876 (11.47%) |
The average salary for Cornell's 790 Professor is $216,085. By gender, the average male professor salary is $219,875, and that of female professor is $207,133. The salary difference between male and female professor is $12,742, which means male professor's salary is 6.15% higher than female professor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $216,085 +$8,402 (4.05%) |
$219,875 +$6,748 (3.17%) |
$207,133 +$12,842 (6.61%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $223,886 +$7,796 (3.61%) |
$228,667 +$7,369 (3.33%) |
$212,116 +$9,276 (4.57%) |
| 10-Month Contract | No Professor with 10-Month Contract | ||
| 11-Month Contract | No Professor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $217,154 +$17,681 (8.86%) |
$204,805 +$2,088 (1.03%) |
$239,450 +$46,367 (24.01%) |
The average salary for Cornell's 428 Associate professor is $150,445. By gender, the average male associate professor salary is $153,346, and that of female associate professor is $146,741. The salary difference between male and female associate professor is $6,605, which means male associate professor's salary is 4.50% higher than female associate professor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $150,445 +$4,578 (3.14%) |
$153,346 +$4,403 (2.96%) |
$146,741 +$4,950 (3.49%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $155,228 +$4,653 (3.09%) |
$158,578 +$4,360 (2.83%) |
$150,754 +$5,155 (3.54%) |
| 10-Month Contract | No Associate professor with 10-Month Contract | ||
| 11-Month Contract | No Associate professor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $169,580 +$4,795 (2.91%) |
$166,190 +$3,508 (2.16%) |
$173,064 +$5,858 (3.50%) |
The average salary for Cornell's 469 Assistant professor is $133,443. By gender, the average male assistant professor salary is $138,343, and that of female assistant professor is $128,847. The salary difference between male and female assistant professor is $9,496, which means male assistant professor's salary is 7.37% higher than female assistant professor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $133,443 +$3,314 (2.55%) |
$138,343 +$2,488 (1.83%) |
$128,847 +$4,263 (3.42%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $138,948 +$3,774 (2.79%) |
$142,196 +$2,486 (1.78%) |
$135,434 +$5,274 (4.05%) |
| 10-Month Contract | No Assistant professor with 10-Month Contract | ||
| 11-Month Contract | No Assistant professor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $146,142 +$4,924 (3.49%) |
$149,375 +$7,094 (4.99%) |
$144,552 +$3,866 (2.75%) |
The average salary for Cornell's 10 Instructor is $59,190. By gender, the average male instructor salary is $63,344, and that of female instructor is $56,422. The salary difference between male and female instructor is $6,922, which means male instructor's salary is 12.27% higher than female instructor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $59,190 -$36,561 (-38.18%) |
$63,344 -$26,290 (-29.33%) |
$56,422 -$45,168 (-44.46%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $63,180 -$35,684 (-36.09%) |
$69,458 -$18,339 (-20.89%) |
$59,414 -$51,209 (-46.29%) |
| 10-Month Contract | No Instructor with 10-Month Contract | ||
| 11-Month Contract | No Instructor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $57,641 -$56,330 (-49.42%) |
$60,000 -$69,922 (-53.82%) |
$55,282 -$48,055 (-46.50%) |
The average salary for Cornell's 311 Lecturer is $96,949. By gender, the average male lecturer salary is $103,832, and that of female lecturer is $92,261. The salary difference between male and female lecturer is $11,571, which means male lecturer's salary is 12.54% higher than female lecturer's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $96,949 +$5,018 (5.46%) |
$103,832 +$6,728 (6.93%) |
$92,261 +$4,143 (4.70%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $98,449 +$4,638 (4.94%) |
$106,918 +$7,921 (8.00%) |
$92,424 +$2,762 (3.08%) |
| 10-Month Contract | No Lecturer with 10-Month Contract | ||
| 11-Month Contract | No Lecturer with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $122,122 +$7,927 (6.94%) |
$121,819 +$2,846 (2.39%) |
$122,299 +$10,758 (9.64%) |
Faculty Salary Changes over Past 5 Years
The average salary for Cornell faculty has increased 15.57%, from $138,094 to $163,558. Professor salaries increased by 16.75%, associate professor salaries increased by 15.59%, and assistant professor salaries increased by 14.55% at Cornell University.
| Year | All Faculty | Professor | Associate Professor | Assistant Professor | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $138,094 | $179,893 | $126,992 | $114,031 | $63,638 |
| 2020 | $141,860 | $184,497 2.56% | $130,653 2.88% | $117,332 2.89% | $63,170 0.74% |
| 2021 | $139,021 | $183,214 0.70% | $128,945 1.31% | $118,308 0.83% | $66,257 4.89% |
| 2022 | $143,555 | $189,727 3.55% | $132,373 2.66% | $119,586 1.08% | $81,602 23.16% |
| 2023 | $148,569 | $195,628 3.11% | $138,352 4.52% | $123,631 3.38% | $82,148 0.67% |
| 2024 | $157,328 | $207,683 6.16% | $145,867 5.43% | $130,129 5.26% | $95,751 16.56% |
| 2025 | $163,558 | $216,085 4.05% | $150,445 3.14% | $133,443 2.55% | $59,190 38.18% |
| 5 Years Change | $25,464 15.57% | $36,192 16.75% | $23,453 15.59% | $19,412 14.55% | -$4,448 7.51% |
Faculty Salary Trends Chart by Academic Rank
This interactive faculty salary trends chart shows year-by-year average salaries for all faculty, professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and instructors at Cornell University. It highlights long-term salary growth, rank-by-rank changes, and historical comparisons to help evaluate compensation trends and academic rank salary patterns over the past 5 years.
How Cornell Faculty Salary Compared?
Cornell's average faculty salary is $163,558. Cornell's faculty salary is much higher than the national average faculty salary at four-years colleges ($73,709). Its salary is also well above the average salary ($76,711) of four-years colleges in New York.
Cornell University is a R1: Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification. When compared R1: Doctoral Universities, its salary is higher than national average as well as New York average.
| Average Faculty Salary | |
|---|---|
| Cornell University | $163,558 |
| R1: Doctoral Universities | $128,754 |
| New York R1: Doctoral Universities | $132,849 |
| National Average (Four-years Colleges) | $73,709 |
| Four-years New York Colleges | $76,711 |
Similar Schools' Faculty Salary
Compared to similar colleges such as Columbia University in the City of New York and New York University, Cornell's faculty salary is slightly higher than the average salary ($146,728). You can compare the salary to analyze or make a decision.
| Average Faculty Salary | Number of Faculty | |
|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | $163,558 | 2,145 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY | $193,642 | 7,286 |
| New York University New York, NY | $164,871 | 11,413 |
| Fordham University Bronx, NY | $146,125 | 1,761 |
| Teachers College at Columbia University New York, NY | $145,838 | 577 |
| Barnard College New York, NY | $144,130 | 395 |
| Brooklyn Law School Brooklyn, NY | $137,587 | 182 |
| The Juilliard School New York, NY | $137,350 | 452 |
| Hofstra University Hempstead, NY | $134,557 | 1,254 |
| University of Rochester Rochester, NY | $133,510 | 3,081 |
| The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art New York, NY | $129,669 | 216 |
Frequently Asked Questions about Faculty Salary at Cornell
Here are some frequently asked questions about faculty salary at Cornell, along with detailed answers based on the latest available data.
What is the average faculty salary at Cornell?
The average faculty salary at Cornell is $163,558 for the most recent year with available data. By academic rank, the average salaries are as follows:
- Professors: $216,085
- Associate Professors: $150,445
- Assistant Professors: $133,443
- Instructors: $59,190
- Lecturers: $96,949
How does Cornell's faculty salary compare to similar schools?
Compared to similar schools, such as Columbia University, NYU, Fordham and 7 other similar schools, Cornell's average faculty salary is slightly higher than the average salary of similar institutions, which is $146,728. Compare them in the table above.
How does Cornell's faculty salary compare to four-years colleges nationally?
Compared to four-years colleges nationally, Cornell's average faculty salary is much higher than the average salary of four-years colleges nationally, which is $73,709.
How does Cornell's faculty salary compare to R1: Doctoral Universities nationally?
Compared to R1: Doctoral Universities nationally, Cornell's average faculty salary is higher than the average salary of R1: Doctoral Universities nationally, which is $128,754.
What are the salary trends for faculty at Cornell?
The salary trends for faculty at Cornell over the past few years show that the average salary has Cornell's faculty salary increased by 3.96% compared to the 2024 salary. For more detailed trends by academic rank, please refer to the faculty salary trends table and chart above.
What is the gender pay difference among faculty at Cornell?
The gender pay difference among faculty at Cornell is higher for male faculty by $30,860 (21.16%).
How many faculty members are included in the salary data for Cornell?
The salary data for Cornell includes a total of 2,008 faculty members across all ranks.
How does Cornell's faculty salary compare to state averages?
Compared to state averages for private 4-year college, Cornell's average faculty salary is much higher than the average faculty salary for colleges in New York, which is $76,711.