As an academic, you may be wondering what salary and career prospects you can anticipate. With more and more people deciding to get their PhD, there has been a corresponding rise in the number of job applications. In fact, The New York Times reports that there were over 1.85 million applications for just 120,000 jobs as of December 2018. However, while you may be guaranteed a job as an academic, you may not be sure of how much you’ll earn.
Is a professor’s salary higher than that of an associate professor? How about a full professor? What is the difference between the different degrees and titles? Are there academic degrees with higher salaries than others?
Find out how much an associate professor, a professor, and a full professor make at a research university in this article.
What Is an Associate Professor?
An associate professor is a teacher or scholar who is not a full professor. The term “associate professor” has been around since the early 1900s, when being called an “associate professor” was a sign of respect and acknowledgement. Today, an associate professor typically has a number of years of teaching and research experience under his or her belt. A typical job description for an associate professor will include teaching a minimum of two courses per year, mentoring and advising PhD students, as well as participating in some aspects of research. Depending on the school and the department, an associate professor may be paid at a higher rate than that of a full professor, but this can vary.
What Is a Full Professor?
A full professor is someone who has completed a PhD and is therefore considered an expert in his or her subject. Having a full professor as an adviser is considered an important step toward a prestigious academic career. Similar to an associate professor, a full professor will typically teach a minimum of two courses per year, be involved in research, and have a say in the curriculum and the hiring of new faculty members. However, a full professor will also have a significant amount of research experience and be able to take on more responsibility within the department or school. Because he or she has more experience, a full professor will often get more opportunities for pay raises and promotions than an associate professor. While it is not always the case, especially in the early stages of your career, a full professor will also usually negotiate for bigger perks and better benefits than an associate professor.
How Much Does an Associate Professor Make?
The median salary for an associate professor at a public university is $60,000 per year. This is according to the 2016–17 NLI Data, which includes both non-tenure and tenure professors. While this is a high figure, it is not as high as one might expect considering the prestige and status that comes with the job title. One explanation for this is that while an associate professor makes a lot of money, it usually comes with a lot of work. According to the 2016–17 NLI Data, the typical job description for an associate professor includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Teaching a minimum of two courses per year
- Participating in research
- Mentoring and advising PhD students
- Updating curriculum and participating in the hiring of new faculty
What Is the Difference in Salaries Between a Professor and an Associate Professor?
If you are just entering the professorate, you may wonder how much you should expect to make. It is important to note here that the difference in salary between a professor and an associate professor is not as significant as you may assume. According to the 2016–17 NLI Data, the average salary for a tenured professor is about $75,000, while the average salary for an untenured professor is about $60,000. This is a 25% increase in pay for an untenured professor. However, this may not seem like a lot considering that an associate professor makes 25% more than a full professor and 50% more than a professor. Depending on the school and the department, this can vary, but for the most part, an associate professor’s starting salary is not that much higher than that of a full professor’s. Furthermore, being an associate professor is not a bad start to a career, especially since you’ll likely have student loans to repay. This means that while you may not be making that much more money, you will have more free time to pursue your career goals.
How Much Does a Professor Make?
An adjunct professor, often considered an on-call or visiting professor, makes about $3,500 per month, or $42,000 per year. While this is a significant amount of money, it is not nearly as high as one might expect, considering the prestige and status that comes with the job title. Similar to an associate professor, a professor’s main responsibilities include teaching a minimum of two courses per year, mentoring and advising PhD students, and participating in research. What sets a professor apart from an associate professor and an adjunct professor is the level of experience that he or she has. A typical job description for a professor will include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Tenure
- Research experience
- A minimum of three years of teaching experience
- A minimum of three years of publishing experience
- A record of successful mentoring of graduate students and junior colleagues
What Is the Difference in Salaries Between a Professor and an Adjunct Professor?
An adjunct professor is a teacher or scholar who is not a full professor, and as such, has fewerjob responsibilities than a typical professor. This is reflected in the lower pay that comes with the job, with an adjunct professor making about $3,500 per month, or $42,000 per year. This is not as high as one might imagine, considering the prestige and status that comes with the job title.
A professor’s pay is not determined by his or her title but rather by a number of factors, including the school and the department. However, at the same time, it is also important to note here that being a professor is one of the most prestigious jobs that you can get. Not only will you be paid well, but you will have your pick of departments and schools to work in. All of this means that while you may not be making as much money as you would like, it is still an incredibly prestigious job.
How Much Does a Full Professor Make?
The pay for a full professor at a public university is much higher than that of an associate professor or an adjunct professor. This is not necessarily the case for private universities, but in general, a full professor will make about $85,000 per year, or $95,000 with tenure. This is according to the 2016–17 NLI Data, with a tenured professor making an average of $95,000 per year, while an untenured professor makes about $75,000 per year. A full professor’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, teaching a minimum of three courses per year, mentoring and advising PhD students, participating in research, and having a say in the curriculum and the hiring of new faculty. What makes a full professor so much more than an associate professor or an adjunct professor is his or her level of experience. A typical job description for a full professor will include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Tenure
- Research experience
- Four years of teaching experience
- A record of successful mentoring of graduate students and junior colleagues
- A record of significant published research
- A record of participation in professional and community activities
What Is the Difference in Salaries Between a Full Professor and an Adjunct Professor?