next »

[muchtrouble]

I can't stop thinking that I am getting less than what I am worth in my new job. The university's published scale turned out to be for a year, and the position is for less than that. They are very creative about disclosing what you will actually have in your pocket once you arrive on the scene. The actual gross salary figure doesn't appear anywhere-- instead, they use a "base salary" number on all the documents. The real gross is about 20% less. 

My question: what's a reasonable figure take-home pay, assuming no tenure, a 3/3 load, U/G advising and standard departmental responsibilities and meetings? Medical is paid by the school.

I was deeply saddened and shocked to discover that for me this number is less than 2,400 a month. Do I need a reality check?



 

[cajun]

It really depends on the field.  Can you give us a bit more information (sciences, humanities, professional)?

[sciencephd]

The salary comparison is best done at the level of gross salary, rather than "take home pay". 

[muchtrouble]

...gross is 38K, country Canada, the field... without giving too much away, educational technology is a good approximation of the field. So perhaps a better summation would be 38K gross, medical included, 3/3 load, non-tenured, full departmental responsibilities.

[mended_drum]

Is "non-tenured" also non-tenure track?  I ask because if this is a temporary position, worrying about being underpaid at this point is counter-productive.  You would need to be applying for other jobs anyway.  If you're tt, I'm still not certain how much room to negotiate you have now, if you've already signed a contract.  Could you have a talk with your chair about the situation?

[muchtrouble]

Is "non-tenured" also non-tenure track?  I ask because if this is a temporary position, worrying about being underpaid at this point is counter-productive.  You would need to be applying for other jobs anyway. 

Non-tenure-track. But they're welcoming me like I will be around for a while. Is it Ok or advisable to say that I won't? Maybe that would soothe my nerves.

[sciencephd]

If the pay is typically much higher in your field for similar types of positions, then the most productive thing would be to apply to those positions.  Alternatively, use that information to negotiate a higher salary when you come up for renewal.

[mended_drum]

If the pay is typically much higher in your field for similar types of positions, then the most productive thing would be to apply to those positions.  Alternatively, use that information to negotiate a higher salary when you come up for renewal.

Exactly.  Don't imply that you "won't be around" long until you have an offer elsewhere since you never know how a job search will turn out.  If the pay is low for your field, your institution probably knows that already.

[cranefly]

...gross is 38K, country Canada, the field... without giving too much away, educational technology is a good approximation of the field. So perhaps a better summation would be 38K gross, medical included, 3/3 load, non-tenured, full departmental responsibilities.

Is that at a college?  Or somewhere with a very low cost of living? This is incredibly low! My university in Canada starts assistant profs in the low 60s in humanities and social sciences.

[larryc]

But they're welcoming me like I will be around for a while. Is it Ok or advisable to say that I won't? Maybe that would soothe my nerves.

You know perfectly well that is a terrible idea.

It does sound like you are getting low balled something awful. Apply for higher paying jobs and use an offer to leverage more money--or just leave. In the meantime smile real pretty and do a great job and never, ever, complain to your colleagues about your pay.

[muchtrouble]

LarryC, you are entirely on the money. I'm wondering if you would be available for the next year to stand over my shoulder?

[prof_tournesol]

I'm with cranefly - my Canadian university has a starting base in the humanities in the 60s, so you are being dramatically underpaid relative to what you'd earn here.

[muchtrouble]

This university starts AP's in the low 60's as well. The job in question is equivalent to a visiting lecturer at 48K with the departmental responsibilities of an AP,  excluding research expectations. When you get in close enough to start asking questions, you find out  (presumably as as a cost-saving measure, but more likely as a form of humiliation?) that you will only be paid for the teaching months. Thus, 38,000 gross ways to regret your investment in graduate school.

I think I will ask my family doctor for something that make me smile a lot for the first six months.

[cranefly]

I'm confused, muchtrouble.
They gave you a visiting prof position? Or a temporary 8-month teaching contract? If you're saying you get paid only for teaching months (8 month/year) then you're grossing $4750 for those months, which is about what an AP would get for 8 months of the year (that's 57K/year).
Teaching six courses a year at standard Canadian adjunct pay (which would have no benefits = about 4000/course) would get you 24K a year. That's about what I made for the first 3 years post-phd while adjuncting.
Humanitites post-docs take on a lot of additional work besides teaching and research and get $35K a year (and depending on where you go, is likely to have no benefits as well). And post-docs have lots of research expectations, so you're doing better than that.
I doubt you have the departmental responsibilities of an AP because you can't sit on many committees, since typically those committees last longer than 8-month posts. What are you doing outside of the 8-months of teaching?
It sounds to me like you're making about market value for a non-TT teaching position in Canada.
 

[new_bus_prof]

At my college, this would be equivalent to a lecturer (non-TT teaching)with an administrative teaching load reduction for the advising responsibility.