Faculty Salary By Academic Rank at Western Kentucky University
The 2025 average faculty salary is $73,212 at Western Kentucky University across all academic ranks. WKU's faculty salary increased by 1.93% compared to the 2024 salary.
At Western Kentucky University, by academic rank:
- The average professor salary is $89,740, representing a 1.44% increase from the previous year (+$1,274).
- The average associate professor salary is $74,743, representing a 4.52% increase from the previous year (+$3,229).
- The average assistant professor salary is $68,205, representing a -0.40% decrease from the previous year (-$275).
- The average instructor salary is $52,254, representing a 1.52% increase from the previous year (+$781).
- The average no academic rank salary is $58,529, representing a -15.68% decrease from the previous year (-$10,884).
Average Salary by Academic Rank Chart
This chart summarizes average faculty salary by academic rank at Western Kentucky 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 Western Kentucky University.
At WKU, the average male faculty's salary is $78,767 and female faculty's is $68,201. The difference in salary between male and female faculty $10,566, with male faculty' annual salary being 15.49% higher than that of female faculty.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $73,212 +$1,387 (1.93%) |
$78,767 +$1,732 (2.25%) |
$68,201 +$1,044 (1.55%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $72,173 +$1,439 (2.03%) |
$77,952 +$1,807 (2.37%) |
$67,099 +$1,142 (1.73%) |
| 10-Month Contract | $79,422 -$17,546 (-18.09%) |
$95,592 -$5,852 (-5.77%) |
$63,252 -$31,478 (-33.23%) |
| 11-Month Contract | No Faculty with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $113,893 +$5,022 (4.61%) |
$115,010 +$2,495 (2.22%) |
$112,523 +$7,931 (7.58%) |
The average salary for WKU's 193 Professor is $89,740. By gender, the average male professor salary is $92,441, and that of female professor is $85,758. The salary difference between male and female professor is $6,683, which means male professor's salary is 7.79% higher than female professor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $89,740 +$1,274 (1.44%) |
$92,441 +$1,641 (1.81%) |
$85,758 +$1,045 (1.23%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $89,078 +$1,303 (1.48%) |
$92,524 +$1,746 (1.92%) |
$84,014 +$1,327 (1.60%) |
| 10-Month Contract | No Professor with 10-Month Contract | ||
| 11-Month Contract | No Professor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $124,447 +$6,618 (5.62%) |
$122,655 +$2,176 (1.81%) |
$127,134 +$13,279 (11.66%) |
The average salary for WKU's 173 Associate professor is $74,743. By gender, the average male associate professor salary is $77,792, and that of female associate professor is $72,181. The salary difference between male and female associate professor is $5,611, which means male associate professor's salary is 7.77% higher than female associate professor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $74,743 +$3,229 (4.52%) |
$77,792 +$3,601 (4.85%) |
$72,181 +$2,642 (3.80%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $74,266 +$3,331 (4.70%) |
$77,514 +$3,534 (4.78%) |
$71,609 +$2,871 (4.18%) |
| 10-Month Contract | $90,396 -$8,286 (-8.40%) |
$95,592 -$3,090 (-3.13%) |
$80,004 |
| 11-Month Contract | No Associate professor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $107,191 +$2,217 (2.11%) |
$104,665 +$5,720 (5.78%) |
$109,716 -$281 (-0.26%) |
The average salary for WKU's 117 Assistant professor is $68,205. By gender, the average male assistant professor salary is $72,367, and that of female assistant professor is $64,638. The salary difference between male and female assistant professor is $7,729, which means male assistant professor's salary is 11.96% higher than female assistant professor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $68,205 -$275 (-0.40%) |
$72,367 +$887 (1.24%) |
$64,638 -$939 (-1.43%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $68,166 -$236 (-0.35%) |
$72,506 +$1,190 (1.67%) |
$64,476 -$1,207 (-1.84%) |
| 10-Month Contract | No Assistant professor with 10-Month Contract | ||
| 11-Month Contract | No Assistant professor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $91,920 +$2,361 (2.64%) |
$93,340 -$454 (-0.48%) |
$90,500 +$7,292 (8.76%) |
The average salary for WKU's 132 Instructor is $52,254. By gender, the average male instructor salary is $54,354, and that of female instructor is $51,205. The salary difference between male and female instructor is $3,149, which means male instructor's salary is 6.15% higher than female instructor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $52,254 +$781 (1.52%) |
$54,354 +$1,748 (3.32%) |
$51,205 +$231 (0.45%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $52,248 +$895 (1.74%) |
$53,976 +$1,802 (3.45%) |
$51,374 +$398 (0.78%) |
| 10-Month Contract | $46,500 -$7,574 (-14.01%) |
- | $46,500 -$7,574 (-14.01%) |
| 11-Month Contract | No Instructor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $74,644 -$1,891 (-2.47%) |
$94,116 +$939 (1.01%) |
$64,908 -$6,080 (-8.56%) |
The average salary for WKU's 7 No academic rank is $58,529. By gender, the average male no academic rank salary is $53,504, and that of female no academic rank is $62,298. The salary difference between male and female no academic rank is $8,794, which means male no academic rank's salary is 14.12% lower than female no academic rank's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $58,529 -$10,884 (-15.68%) |
$53,504 -$6,157 (-10.32%) |
$62,298 -$23,369 (-27.28%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $58,529 -$10,884 (-15.68%) |
$53,504 -$6,157 (-10.32%) |
$62,298 -$23,369 (-27.28%) |
| 10-Month Contract | No academic rank with 10-Month Contract | ||
| 11-Month Contract | No academic rank with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | No academic rank with 12-Month Contract | ||
Faculty Salary Changes over Past 5 Years
The average salary for WKU faculty has increased 9.07%, from $66,575 to $73,212. Professor salaries increased by 7.41%, associate professor salaries increased by 10.05%, and assistant professor salaries increased by 11.02% at Western Kentucky University.
| Year | All Faculty | Professor | Associate Professor | Assistant Professor | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $66,575 | $83,094 | $67,232 | $60,692 | $47,621 |
| 2020 | $69,234 | $86,276 3.83% | $69,013 2.65% | $64,434 6.17% | $49,519 3.99% |
| 2021 | $70,053 | $86,259 0.02% | $68,927 0.12% | $64,635 0.31% | $50,052 1.08% |
| 2022 | $68,689 | $86,676 0.48% | $69,150 0.32% | $64,120 0.80% | $49,178 1.75% |
| 2023 | $70,087 | $86,500 0.20% | $70,951 2.60% | $66,055 3.02% | $50,379 2.44% |
| 2024 | $71,825 | $88,466 2.27% | $71,514 0.79% | $68,480 3.67% | $51,473 2.17% |
| 2025 | $73,212 | $89,740 1.44% | $74,743 4.52% | $68,205 0.40% | $52,254 1.52% |
| 5 Years Change | $6,637 9.07% | $6,646 7.41% | $7,511 10.05% | $7,513 11.02% | $4,633 8.87% |
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 Western Kentucky 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 WKU Faculty Salary Compared?
WKU's average faculty salary is $73,212. WKU's faculty salary is similar to the national average faculty salary at four-years colleges ($73,709). Its salary is higher than the average salary of four-years colleges in Kentucky.
Western Kentucky University is a Doctoral/Research University according to the Carnegie Classification. When compared Doctoral/Research University, its salary is slightly lower than national average and similar to Kentucky Doctoral/Research University.
| Average Faculty Salary | |
|---|---|
| Western Kentucky University | $73,212 |
| Doctoral/Research University | $77,759 |
| Kentucky Doctoral/Research University | $70,302 |
| National Average (Four-years Colleges) | $73,709 |
| Four-years Kentucky Colleges | $63,406 |
Similar Schools' Faculty Salary
Compared to similar colleges such as University of Kentucky and University of Louisville, WKU's faculty salary is slightly lower than the average salary ($78,263). You can compare the salary to analyze or make a decision.
| Average Faculty Salary | Number of Faculty | |
|---|---|---|
| Western Kentucky University | $73,212 | 942 |
| University of Kentucky Lexington, KY | $108,250 | 2,208 |
| University of Louisville Louisville, KY | $86,684 | 2,091 |
| Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY | $78,532 | 988 |
| Murray State University Murray, KY | $70,683 | 566 |
| Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY | $70,289 | 980 |
| Morehead State University Morehead, KY | $69,910 | 400 |
| Kentucky State University Frankfort, KY | $63,491 | 135 |
Frequently Asked Questions about Faculty Salary at WKU
Here are some frequently asked questions about faculty salary at WKU, along with detailed answers based on the latest available data.
What is the average faculty salary at WKU?
The average faculty salary at WKU is $73,212 for the most recent year with available data. By academic rank, the average salaries are as follows:
- Professors: $89,740
- Associate Professors: $74,743
- Assistant Professors: $68,205
- Instructors: $52,254
- Lecturers: N/A
How does WKU's faculty salary compare to similar schools?
Compared to similar schools, such as Kentucky, Louisville, NKU and 4 other similar schools, WKU's average faculty salary is slightly lower than the average salary of similar institutions, which is $78,263. Compare them in the table above.
How does WKU's faculty salary compare to four-years colleges nationally?
Compared to four-years colleges nationally, WKU's average faculty salary is similar to the average salary of four-years colleges nationally, which is $73,709.
How does WKU's faculty salary compare to Doctoral/Research University nationally?
Compared to Doctoral/Research University nationally, WKU's average faculty salary is slightly lower than the average salary of Doctoral/Research University nationally, which is $77,759.
What are the salary trends for faculty at WKU?
The salary trends for faculty at WKU over the past few years show that the average salary has WKU's faculty salary increased by 1.93% 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 WKU?
The gender pay difference among faculty at WKU is higher for male faculty by $10,566 (15.49%).
How many faculty members are included in the salary data for WKU?
The salary data for WKU includes a total of 622 faculty members across all ranks.
How does WKU's faculty salary compare to state averages?
Compared to state averages for public 4-year college, WKU's average faculty salary is higher than the average faculty salary for colleges in Kentucky, which is $63,406.