October is National Higher Education Month! According to NEA’s 2026 Faculty Salary Report, released in the spring, California consistently ranks #1 in the nation for average higher education faculty salaries at both public four-year and public two-year (community college) institutions. Strong collective bargaining laws and a powerful union presence led by groups like our state’s Community College Association — drive these compensation baselines.

The report found that the union advantage is especially large at community colleges, where union faculty earned an average $19,000 more in 2025 than their non-unionized peers in the very same states — and an average $30,000 more than two-year faculty who work in states without collective bargaining. The average salary at the community college level in California is $124,488.

But while our state’s nominal pay is highest in the country, the numbers don’t reflect actual purchasing power. High state taxes and extreme housing costs mean that California faculty may have a lower standard of living than states with lower costs of living. In our union, we continue to organize to improve working conditions for faculty and resources for community colleges across California. Read the full NEA Higher Education Report.