Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the colleges, universities, and professional schools industry earns $80,939 per year ($38.91/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools Workers Earn?
At $80,939/year (equivalent to $38.91/hour for a full-time worker), colleges, universities, and professional schools wages are significantly above the national average of ~$65,000.
Higher wages in this industry typically reflect specialized skills, professional certifications, or technical expertise required for the work. Employers competing for talent in this space face elevated labor costs.
The typical colleges, universities, and professional schools business employs 93 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average colleges, universities, and professional schools business generating $64.9M/year with 93 employees at $80,939 each, total payroll represents roughly 11.6% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a colleges, universities, and professional schoolsbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $105,221/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 93 employees = ~$7,527,327/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $38.91/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $64.9M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do colleges, universities, and professional schools employees make?
- The average colleges, universities, and professional schools employee earns $80,939 per year, which is equivalent to $38.91/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the colleges, universities, and professional schools industry?
- The colleges, universities, and professional schools industry employs 1,260,085 workers across 13,551 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 93 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).