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Associate Professor information

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$47.5K

$111.9K

$155.6K

How much do associate professor jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for associate professor in Massachusetts is $111,867.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $86,300.00 and $137,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by associate professors when balancing research, teaching, and service responsibilities?

Associate Professors often juggle multiple responsibilities, including conducting research, teaching courses, mentoring students, and participating in departmental or university service. Balancing these can be challenging, especially when research expectations remain high while teaching loads and committee work increase after promotion. Successful Associate Professors typically develop strong time-management skills, collaborate with colleagues to share best practices, and seek mentorship or support from their academic community. Proactive planning and clear communication with department leadership can also help manage these competing demands.

What is the difference between Associate Professor vs Assistant Professor?

AspectAssociate ProfessorAssistant Professor
Required CredentialsDoctorate (Ph.D. or equivalent), significant research and teaching experienceDoctorate (Ph.D. or equivalent), typically early in academic career
Work EnvironmentUniversity faculty, involved in teaching, research, and serviceUniversity faculty, primarily focused on teaching and beginning research
Employer & Industry UsageHigher education institutions, research universitiesHigher education institutions, research universities

In summary, an Associate Professor is a more senior academic role with extensive research and teaching experience, while an Assistant Professor is an entry-level faculty position focused on developing research and teaching skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an associate professor, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Associate Professor, you need advanced subject matter expertise, a doctoral degree in your field, and a record of research and scholarly publication. Familiarity with learning management systems (LMS), academic databases, and research software is typically required. Strong communication, mentorship, and organizational skills help foster student engagement and productive collegial relationships. These competencies are essential for effective teaching, impactful research, and meaningful contributions to academic communities.

What is an associate professor?

An associate professor teaches at a college or university campus and ranks below a full professor. As an associate professor, you still perform the primary job duties of a full professor, such as interacting with students, grading classroom assignments, assisting students with study techniques, and developing lesson plans. You may also spend part of your career working on research projects and writing articles for academic journals.

Do you need a PhD to be an associate professor?

Yes, most academic institutions require an associate professor to hold a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree. This qualification demonstrates expertise in the field and is typically necessary for tenure-track faculty positions at universities. Additional requirements may include teaching experience, research publications, and service contributions.
More about Associate Professor jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Professor jobs in Massachusetts? The most popular types of Professor jobs in Massachusetts are:
What are popular job titles related to Associate Professor jobs in Massachusetts? For Associate Professor jobs in Massachusetts, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Associate Professor jobs in Massachusetts look for? The top searched job categories for Associate Professor jobs in Massachusetts are:
What cities in Massachusetts are hiring for Associate Professor jobs? Cities in Massachusetts with the most Associate Professor job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Associate Professor jobs in MA? For Associate Professor jobs in MA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Associate Professor jobs near you
Infographic showing various Associate Professor job openings in Massachusetts as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 73% Full Time, 24% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $111,867 per year, or $53.8 per hour.

R. Buckminster Fuller Professor in Practice of Design Science (part-time), Associate Professor in Pr

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • On-site

$180K - $230K/yr

Full-time, Part-time

Re-posted 20 days ago

Harvard University rating

8.5

Company rating: 8.5 out of 10

Based on 12 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

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Job description

Position
Details
Title
R. Buckminster Fuller Professor in Practice of Design Science (part-time), Associate Professor in Practice of Design Science (part-time), or Associate Professor in Design Science (full-time, tenure track)
School
Harvard Graduate School of Design
Department/Area
Position Description
Honoring the legacy of R. Buckminster Fuller as a designer, inventor, and scientist who was committed to addressing pressing planetary and societal concerns, this newly established endowed professorship will support a visionary scholar and/or practitioner at Harvard's Graduate School of Design. We seek individuals who support and expand upon the school's mission by demonstrating a systemic, ethical, and innovative approach to global issues, through scholarship and/or design of contemporary relevance and urgency. The future of our planet and the quest for sustainable design solutions rank high among these issues.
We are especially interested in someone with a record of cross-disciplinary research and/or practice. The successful candidate will be appointed within the department that is most appropriate to their primary field of expertise but will be expected to bridge across all the disciplines represented in the GSD's academic departments and non-departmental programs, as well as establishing collaborative research and pedagogy with other Harvard schools. This position is envisioned with a certain degree of latitude. The role is for a full-time tenure track associate professor or a part-time junior or senior practice position that will engage with and teach in one or several of the school's degree programs. These include architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning and design, design studies, design engineering, and doctoral studies. Importantly, the successful candidate will have the capacity to address the needs of the Master in Design Studies and Master in Design Engineering programs in particular.
The successful candidate will also be an effective and experienced teacher and can demonstrate a record of outstanding creative research through scholarship and/or practice that advances one or more disciplines.
Basic Qualifications
Academic qualifications depend on the profile of the successful applicant. Candidates who pursue largely scholarly research are generally expected to hold a Doctoral degree, while design practitioners may have an alternative terminal degree, appropriate to support the appointment rank.
The faculty search committee will review applications on a rolling basis starting in March 2026.
Additional Qualifications
Special Instructions
Initial Submission
Candidates should submit:
  • Cover letter
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • If relevant, selected material from your portfolio, including publications, plans, reports, or design work, depending on experience, up to 50 mb
  • Names and contact information for a minimum of three referees. (Candidates will be notified regarding requests for evaluation letters during the subsequent phase of the recruitment process. Please note that your referees may or may not be asked for letters.)

Subsequent Submission
At a later date, candidates advancing in the selection process will be asked to provide additional material.
If visa sponsorship is needed, Harvard retains the discretion to determine which visa status is appropriate and whether a visa sponsorship application will ultimately be submitted, including payment of any applicable fees.
Contact Information
Katherine J. Igoe, Faculty Search Coordinator, Faculty Affairs
Contact Email
katherine_igoe@gsd.harvard.edu
Salary Range
Salary commensurate with experience and dependent on the position type at hire:
  • Professor in Practice hiring range: Full-time salary $180,000-$230,000 (pro-rated based on time commitment, generally between 50% and 75% FTE)
  • Associate Professor in Practice hiring range: Full-time salary $135,000-$165,000 (prorated based on time commitment, generally between 50% and 75% FTE)
  • Associate Professor (full-time, tenure track) hiring range: $135,000 - $165,000

Minimum Number of References Required
3
Maximum Number of References Allowed
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