Faculty Salary By Academic Rank at Western Michigan University
The 2025 average faculty salary is $98,247 at Western Michigan University across all academic ranks. WMU's faculty salary increased by 3.61% compared to the 2024 salary.
At Western Michigan University, by academic rank:
- The average professor salary is $119,970, representing a 1.72% increase from the previous year (+$2,031).
- The average associate professor salary is $93,201, representing a 3.53% increase from the previous year (+$3,175).
- The average assistant professor salary is $79,312, representing a 4.09% increase from the previous year (+$3,114).
- The average instructor salary is $61,891, representing a 4.55% increase from the previous year (+$2,692).
Average Salary by Academic Rank Chart
This chart summarizes average faculty salary by academic rank at Western Michigan 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 Michigan University.
At WMU, the average male faculty's salary is $105,470 and female faculty's is $90,037. The difference in salary between male and female faculty $15,433, with male faculty' annual salary being 17.14% higher than that of female faculty.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $98,247 +$3,420 (3.61%) |
$105,470 +$3,400 (3.33%) |
$90,037 +$3,522 (4.07%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $101,113 +$3,926 (4.04%) |
$108,257 +$4,052 (3.89%) |
$92,716 +$3,869 (4.35%) |
| 10-Month Contract | $68,950 +$7,563 (12.32%) |
$70,100 | $68,087 +$6,700 (10.91%) |
| 11-Month Contract | No Faculty with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $92,678 +$2,568 (2.85%) |
$95,410 +$1,668 (1.78%) |
$90,458 +$3,374 (3.87%) |
The average salary for WMU's 295 Professor is $119,970. By gender, the average male professor salary is $124,498, and that of female professor is $112,245. The salary difference between male and female professor is $12,253, which means male professor's salary is 10.92% higher than female professor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $119,970 +$2,031 (1.72%) |
$124,498 +$2,348 (1.92%) |
$112,245 +$2,308 (2.10%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $120,048 +$2,024 (1.71%) |
$124,646 +$2,343 (1.92%) |
$112,245 +$2,308 (2.10%) |
| 10-Month Contract | No Professor with 10-Month Contract | ||
| 11-Month Contract | No Professor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $129,309 +$4,973 (4.00%) |
$129,309 +$4,973 (4.00%) |
- |
The average salary for WMU's 225 Associate professor is $93,201. By gender, the average male associate professor salary is $98,550, and that of female associate professor is $88,084. The salary difference between male and female associate professor is $10,466, which means male associate professor's salary is 11.88% higher than female associate professor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $93,201 +$3,175 (3.53%) |
$98,550 +$4,956 (5.30%) |
$88,084 +$1,726 (2.00%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $95,158 +$3,353 (3.65%) |
$100,819 +$5,313 (5.56%) |
$89,661 +$1,633 (1.86%) |
| 10-Month Contract | $59,634 +$2,294 (4.00%) |
- | $59,634 +$2,294 (4.00%) |
| 11-Month Contract | No Associate professor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $101,553 +$5,028 (5.21%) |
$101,151 +$2,105 (2.13%) |
$101,919 +$8,546 (9.15%) |
The average salary for WMU's 146 Assistant professor is $79,312. By gender, the average male assistant professor salary is $82,223, and that of female assistant professor is $77,040. The salary difference between male and female assistant professor is $5,183, which means male assistant professor's salary is 6.73% higher than female assistant professor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $79,312 +$3,114 (4.09%) |
$82,223 +$3,813 (4.86%) |
$77,040 +$2,309 (3.09%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $80,997 +$3,518 (4.54%) |
$84,579 +$4,260 (5.30%) |
$78,310 +$2,644 (3.49%) |
| 10-Month Contract | $71,483 +$9,167 (14.71%) |
$70,150 | $72,815 +$10,499 (16.85%) |
| 11-Month Contract | No Assistant professor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $93,055 +$1,245 (1.36%) |
$94,789 +$3,733 (4.10%) |
$91,321 -$1,174 (-1.27%) |
The average salary for WMU's 69 Instructor is $61,891. By gender, the average male instructor salary is $63,853, and that of female instructor is $60,291. The salary difference between male and female instructor is $3,562, which means male instructor's salary is 5.91% higher than female instructor's salary.
| Contract Length | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equated to 9-Month Contract | $61,891 +$2,692 (4.55%) |
$63,853 +$3,708 (6.17%) |
$60,291 +$1,817 (3.11%) |
| 9-Month Contract | $62,314 +$2,874 (4.84%) |
$64,361 +$4,149 (6.89%) |
$60,352 +$1,635 (2.78%) |
| 10-Month Contract | $68,543 +$4,038 (6.26%) |
$70,000 | $67,085 +$2,580 (4.00%) |
| 11-Month Contract | No Instructor with 11-Month Contract | ||
| 12-Month Contract | $81,225 +$3,472 (4.47%) |
$83,075 +$3,525 (4.43%) |
$80,229 +$3,130 (4.06%) |
Faculty Salary Changes over Past 5 Years
The average salary for WMU faculty has increased 7.86%, from $90,529 to $98,247. Professor salaries increased by 6.56%, associate professor salaries increased by 8.86%, and assistant professor salaries increased by 9.4% at Western Michigan University.
| Year | All Faculty | Professor | Associate Professor | Assistant Professor | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $90,529 | $112,097 | $84,947 | $71,858 | $53,267 |
| 2020 | $91,918 | $114,507 2.15% | $87,123 2.56% | $72,227 0.51% | $54,825 2.92% |
| 2021 | $89,931 | $110,727 3.30% | $84,481 3.03% | $71,908 0.44% | $54,940 0.21% |
| 2022 | $92,796 | $114,189 3.13% | $87,266 3.30% | $73,586 2.33% | $56,631 3.08% |
| 2023 | $93,833 | $115,965 1.56% | $89,004 1.99% | $73,095 0.67% | $59,424 4.93% |
| 2024 | $94,827 | $117,939 1.70% | $90,026 1.15% | $76,198 4.25% | $59,199 0.38% |
| 2025 | $98,247 | $119,970 1.72% | $93,201 3.53% | $79,312 4.09% | $61,891 4.55% |
| 5 Years Change | $7,718 7.86% | $7,873 6.56% | $8,254 8.86% | $7,454 9.40% | $8,624 13.93% |
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 Michigan 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 WMU Faculty Salary Compared?
WMU's average faculty salary is $98,247. WMU's faculty salary is higher than the national average faculty salary at four-years colleges ($73,709). Its salary is also higher than the average salary ($77,931) of four-years colleges in Michigan.
Western Michigan University is a R2: Doctoral Universitiesies according to the Carnegie Classification. When compared R2: Doctoral Universitiesies, its salary is similar to national average as well as Michigan average.
| Average Faculty Salary | |
|---|---|
| Western Michigan University | $98,247 |
| R2: Doctoral Universitiesies | $99,424 |
| Michigan R2: Doctoral Universitiesies | $98,068 |
| National Average (Four-years Colleges) | $73,709 |
| Four-years Michigan Colleges | $77,931 |
Similar Schools' Faculty Salary
Compared to similar colleges such as University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Michigan State University, WMU's faculty salary is slightly lower than the average salary ($106,202). You can compare the salary to analyze or make a decision.
| Average Faculty Salary | Number of Faculty | |
|---|---|---|
| Western Michigan University | $98,247 | 1,189 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | $125,258 | 8,810 |
| Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | $122,284 | 3,583 |
| Wayne State University Detroit, MI | $110,333 | 2,394 |
| Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI | $106,725 | 454 |
| Schoolcraft Community College District Livonia, MI | $105,799 | 370 |
| Henry Ford College Dearborn, MI | $102,809 | 523 |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn, MI | $101,116 | 493 |
| Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI | $96,578 | 669 |
| Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI | $96,194 | 867 |
| University of Michigan-Flint Flint, MI | $94,925 | 452 |
Frequently Asked Questions about Faculty Salary at WMU
Here are some frequently asked questions about faculty salary at WMU, along with detailed answers based on the latest available data.
What is the average faculty salary at WMU?
The average faculty salary at WMU is $98,247 for the most recent year with available data. By academic rank, the average salaries are as follows:
- Professors: $119,970
- Associate Professors: $93,201
- Assistant Professors: $79,312
- Instructors: $61,891
- Lecturers: N/A
How does WMU's faculty salary compare to similar schools?
Compared to similar schools, such as UM-Ann Arbor, MSU, WSU and 7 other similar schools, WMU's average faculty salary is slightly lower than the average salary of similar institutions, which is $106,202. Compare them in the table above.
How does WMU's faculty salary compare to four-years colleges nationally?
Compared to four-years colleges nationally, WMU's average faculty salary is higher than the average salary of four-years colleges nationally, which is $73,709.
How does WMU's faculty salary compare to R2: Doctoral Universitiesies nationally?
Compared to R2: Doctoral Universitiesies nationally, WMU's average faculty salary is similar to the average salary of R2: Doctoral Universitiesies nationally, which is $99,424.
What are the salary trends for faculty at WMU?
The salary trends for faculty at WMU over the past few years show that the average salary has WMU's faculty salary increased by 3.61% 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 WMU?
The gender pay difference among faculty at WMU is higher for male faculty by $15,433 (17.14%).
How many faculty members are included in the salary data for WMU?
The salary data for WMU includes a total of 735 faculty members across all ranks.
How does WMU's faculty salary compare to state averages?
Compared to state averages for public 4-year college, WMU's average faculty salary is higher than the average faculty salary for colleges in Michigan, which is $77,931.