What I'd really be interested in is a response to this from an early post:
At Sheffield, for example (as of July 2010), there is an Introductory Zone, steps 1-5 (~54-61k), and then Band 1, 2, and 3, ranging all the way from 63k to 107k:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/hr/reward/professorial/structureWhat I don't know is if this Sheffield structure is more-or-less universal among UK universities, or if my prospective uni has a similar structure.
How is entry into the bands determined, and is the entry point negotiable?
It really completely depends on the university. As I said, at my last employer the only published pay scale is the single spine point 53, and recruitment literature all says that salaries are based on experience. Meanwhile, over at WH's alma mater, the Fenland Polytechnical Institute
"The base annual salary for a Professor is £64,637. In addition there are four Contribution Bands, each made up of six steps, taking the maximum professorial salary at the top of Band 4 to £131,395. Salary on appointment will be determined by the Vice-Chancellor. Professorial salaries are reviewed periodically on the basis of research, teaching and general contribution, by the Vice-Chancellor with the assistance of a small Advisory Committee." (text blatantly coped from a current advert).
From the point of view of somebody who never aspired to professorial heights, but who has worked for a fair few people who are professors and a few who went on the be VCs, what matters is your research, your publication record, and the contribution you will make to the university after appointment. Bluntly, at a Russell Group university, getting to the top of the REF pile is what counts, as that's where the money is. If your research will do well in the REF, you will do well in the salary stakes.
Personally, Sheffield's "Introductory Band" is what I'd expect to see at the top end of the Reader scale rather than the Professorial scale, but that's probably too long down in the softy south talking ;-)
