How much do Harvard professors actually get paid?
I’ve seen a lot of rumors online about pay for professors at top schools, but I want to know what the real numbers are for Harvard. Is it true their salaries are super high compared to other colleges?
I’m interested because I’m considering academia in the long run, and Harvard is kind of my dream school. If anyone knows the typical salary range, how it varies by department (like STEM vs. humanities), or even if salaries are public, I’d really appreciate it. If you know about benefits or perks that come with the job there, that’d be awesome to hear about too.
Also, are adjuncts or lecturers at Harvard paid anything close to tenured professors, or is there a big gap? Just curious how it all breaks down.
I’m interested because I’m considering academia in the long run, and Harvard is kind of my dream school. If anyone knows the typical salary range, how it varies by department (like STEM vs. humanities), or even if salaries are public, I’d really appreciate it. If you know about benefits or perks that come with the job there, that’d be awesome to hear about too.
Also, are adjuncts or lecturers at Harvard paid anything close to tenured professors, or is there a big gap? Just curious how it all breaks down.
1 week ago
•
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Luis Nario-Malberg
• 1 week ago
Advisor
Harvard professors are among the highest paid in academia, but there’s a lot of nuance behind the numbers. Full professors at Harvard generally earn between $200,000 and $300,000 per year, sometimes higher for faculty in competitive fields like business, law, or medicine. For example, professors at Harvard Business School or Harvard Medical School can see salaries at the upper end or even beyond that range, sometimes well into the $300,000–$400,000 ballpark, largely due to outside consulting, research grants, or clinical work.
On the other hand, salaries in the humanities or social sciences are still strong by national standards, but typically lower—often in the $150,000 to $220,000 range for tenured faculty. Associate professors might earn a bit less, and assistant professors (early-career, tenure-track) usually have salaries starting from around $110,000-$150,000 depending on the department and one’s experience. Harvard provides some salary information in financial reports, but exact numbers by individual aren't always public due to privacy.
Benefits at Harvard are also attractive: professors often have generous health insurance, retirement contributions, access to research funding, sabbatical opportunities, housing assistance (in some cases), and on-campus perks like libraries and fitness facilities. For seasoned faculty, the combination of salary, benefits, and professional resources is hard to beat.
Now, when it comes to adjuncts and lecturers, the pay is much lower compared to tenured or tenure-track professors. Adjuncts may earn between $5,000 to $10,000 per course, sometimes a bit more, but it’s nowhere near a full professor’s salary even if someone were to teach several courses a year. Some lecturers—especially those in longer-term or full-time roles—can earn upwards of $60,000 to $100,000, but it’s still a significant gap compared to research faculty. For example, while a tenured professor in the Department of Computer Science might earn $230,000 a year and direct research labs, an adjunct teaching a single course might receive closer to $7,000 with limited benefits.
If you’re exploring academia, these numbers are worth factoring into your plans, but also note that prestige, resources, and job security—especially tenure—are big elements of the package at top universities like Harvard. If you want to dive deeper, the "Academe" salary survey (published by the American Association of University Professors) is a great resource for comparing salaries across different schools and disciplines.
On the other hand, salaries in the humanities or social sciences are still strong by national standards, but typically lower—often in the $150,000 to $220,000 range for tenured faculty. Associate professors might earn a bit less, and assistant professors (early-career, tenure-track) usually have salaries starting from around $110,000-$150,000 depending on the department and one’s experience. Harvard provides some salary information in financial reports, but exact numbers by individual aren't always public due to privacy.
Benefits at Harvard are also attractive: professors often have generous health insurance, retirement contributions, access to research funding, sabbatical opportunities, housing assistance (in some cases), and on-campus perks like libraries and fitness facilities. For seasoned faculty, the combination of salary, benefits, and professional resources is hard to beat.
Now, when it comes to adjuncts and lecturers, the pay is much lower compared to tenured or tenure-track professors. Adjuncts may earn between $5,000 to $10,000 per course, sometimes a bit more, but it’s nowhere near a full professor’s salary even if someone were to teach several courses a year. Some lecturers—especially those in longer-term or full-time roles—can earn upwards of $60,000 to $100,000, but it’s still a significant gap compared to research faculty. For example, while a tenured professor in the Department of Computer Science might earn $230,000 a year and direct research labs, an adjunct teaching a single course might receive closer to $7,000 with limited benefits.
If you’re exploring academia, these numbers are worth factoring into your plans, but also note that prestige, resources, and job security—especially tenure—are big elements of the package at top universities like Harvard. If you want to dive deeper, the "Academe" salary survey (published by the American Association of University Professors) is a great resource for comparing salaries across different schools and disciplines.
Luis Nario-Malberg
Mooresville, North Carolina
Harvard College, Class of 2018, A.B. in Philosophy
Experience
5 years