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[ghillbilly]

There is a lot of reference on this site to tenure track vs non tenure track positions.  Obviously, the tenure track is the more desirable of the two.  So what is the average starting salary for these positions?  I googled it, but the information I got can't be right.

Also, are they eligible for other forms of monetary compensation?  Bonuses, 401K, restricted stock, etc...

[glenwood]

http://chronicle.com/stats/aaup/

[ghillbilly]

The salaries are very low.  They are similar to retail management which requires no degree. 

Why so low??  Also, with no other financial benefits - bonuse, stocks, etc...why is it so competitive for tenure track positions? 

[carebearstare]

The salaries are very low.  They are similar to retail management which requires no degree. 

Why so low??  Also, with no other financial benefits - bonuse, stocks, etc...why is it so competitive for tenure track positions? 

This is like asking why teachers, nurses, spiritual leaders, farmers, or social workers make so little money.

Not to say that being a college professor is as socially necessary as any of those fields. But money is not the only measure of value--social or otherwise. Most people who believe it is do not become professors.

[untenured]

There is a lot of reference on this site to tenure track vs non tenure track positions.  Obviously, the tenure track is the more desirable of the two.  So what is the average starting salary for these positions?  I googled it, but the information I got can't be right.

Also, are they eligible for other forms of monetary compensation?  Bonuses, 401K, restricted stock, etc...

That's an awfully vague question, similar to asking how much does someone in HR make.  Faculty earn anywhere from $40K to $400K a year depending on field, experience, employer, and prestige.

How would faculty get restricted stock from a university employer?

Untenured

[hipgeek]

http://chronicle.com/stats/aaup/

Thanks for the link, glenwood.

[jonesey]

The salaries are very low.  They are similar to retail management which requires no degree. 

Why so low??  Also, with no other financial benefits - bonuse, stocks, etc...why is it so competitive for tenure track positions? 

Job security: Tenured profs can't get fired.  It's (effectively) a job for life, which is very attractive in any economic climate. 

If you're used to Type A business environments (high pay, quick promotions, etc) then stay away from academia.  Profs tend to be at the same level for years, with only minimal (if any) pay increases.  It was a big shock for me after being in a corporate environment where I received significant annual pay raises (between 8-10%, plus bonuses).  Of course, I hated my corporate job and love what I do now, so there's that.

[ghillbilly]

It was a big shock for me after being in a corporate environment where I received significant annual pay raises (between 8-10%, plus bonuses).  Of course, I hated my corporate job and love what I do now, so there's that.

I bet it was a shock.  I knew that teaching K-12 didn't pay much, but I didn't realize that extended over to higher ed. You are the exception because you've worked in both worlds, but I think most academics don't realize how low the range actually is. However, if you love what you do then money isn't an issue.

That's an awfully vague question, similar to asking how much does someone in HR make.

Really?  It shouldn't be.  There are lots of resources available that give you an idea of what the min/mid/max are for any job.  I only asked the question because when I looked the salaries up they were so low, I thought the info was wrong. 

[kedves]

The salaries are very low.  They are similar to retail management which requires no degree.  

Why so low??  Also, with no other financial benefits - bonuse, stocks, etc...why is it so competitive for tenure track positions?  

Why are the jobs competitive?  Supply and demand:  there are many more people who want the jobs than there are jobs for those people.  Why do so many people want those jobs?  I doubt that I can answer the question to your satisfaction.   Your question about salary could apply to the entire non-profit sector, the fastest growing sector of the economy.  These are not good careers for anyone whose first priority is salary.


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[carebearstare]

It was a big shock for me after being in a corporate environment where I received significant annual pay raises (between 8-10%, plus bonuses).  Of course, I hated my corporate job and love what I do now, so there's that.

I bet it was a shock.  I knew that teaching K-12 didn't pay much, but I didn't realize that extended over to higher ed. You are the exception because you've worked in both worlds, but I think most academics don't realize how low the range actually is. However, if you love what you do then money isn't an issue.

I think most professors are well aware that their salaries are low compared to lots of other businesses. While in grad school, I was making (well) under $20K a year while friends of mine in advertising, finance, or law were steadily moving into the mid six figures. Their bosses made even more money than that. Now that I'm on the tenure track, I make more money but nowhere near what friends of mine were pulling five years ago.

There are too many strands in this to untangle them all, but I would like to mention that the current economic crisis is shining a light on the fact that some professions have been overvalued. While academia is not immune to these questions, I generally feel as though I make enough money to live, but not so much that it keeps me up at night. And I'm frankly just fine with this.

[prof22]

My friend was just hired at my institution as a lecturer (she does not have a Ph.D.).  I'm an assistant professor and I make 12K more.  I'm not sure about her benefits compared to mine.

[terpsichore]

I knew that teaching K-12 didn't pay much, but I didn't realize that extended over to higher ed. You are the exception because you've worked in both worlds, but I think most academics don't realize how low the range actually is. However, if you love what you do then money isn't an issue.

I think most academics are well aware of this. I know, for example, what offers my students are getting, and that new Ph.D.s in my field who go to industry can make as much or more than a full professor at a major university with 20 years experience.

[jonesey]

I knew that teaching K-12 didn't pay much, but I didn't realize that extended over to higher ed. You are the exception because you've worked in both worlds, but I think most academics don't realize how low the range actually is. However, if you love what you do then money isn't an issue.

I think most academics are well aware of this. I know, for example, what offers my students are getting, and that new Ph.D.s in my field who go to industry can make as much or more than a full professor at a major university with 20 years experience.

Exactly.  For Humanities folks it's even worse. 

Recent add here in Florida at a private SLAC for an English prof, PhD required + significant pubs:  $40,000/year starting. 

[shamu]

That's an awfully vague question, similar to asking how much does someone in HR make.

Really?  It shouldn't be.  There are lots of resources available that give you an idea of what the min/mid/max are for any job.  I only asked the question because when I looked the salaries up they were so low, I thought the info was wrong. 

Around 40k into millions.

[shamu]

Sorry, I missed the "starting" part. Around 40k to more than double that. Depends on the field, institution, and the applicant.