From Yahoo Finance: 2025-05-07 09:37:00

Business school faculty at four-year U.S. institutions earned an average salary of $117,000 in the 2023-24 academic year, making them among the highest-paid educators in academia. Health professions and Engineering & Architecture faculty earned slightly more, according to the NEA’s 2025 Faculty Salary Report.

At two-year institutions, business faculty salaries drop to an average of $95,000, still higher than education and library sciences professors. Full-time faculty in B-schools earn six-figure salaries, while graduate assistants in Business Management and Administrative Services earn an average stipend of just $21,000.

The NEA report shows significant differences across academic disciplines in faculty salaries, with Business faculty earning $117K in four-year institutions and $95K in two-year institutions. Graduate assistant stipends also reflect sharp disparities, ranging from $2,000 to $74,000 depending on institution and field.

Despite nominal salary increases, real wage growth for faculty has been sluggish due to inflation. The NEA cautions that faculty purchasing power lags behind pre-pandemic levels, especially for early-career academics and graduate workers. The compensation gap between full-time faculty and graduate assistants raises questions about equity in academic labor.

As universities compete for faculty talent in high-demand fields, the disparity in compensation between full-time faculty and graduate assistants presents sustainability and equity challenges in academic labor. The NEA report highlights the need for addressing wage stagnation and ensuring fair compensation for all academic staff.

Read more: Business School Faculty Among Top Earners in Higher Ed, Averaging $117K