College professors don't make that much....

[the DRIZZLE]

lol. more idiotic assumptions from the black hole that is the mouth of Faux news.

Sorry, I don't even have cable. Just because you aren't satisfied with your position doesn't mean that academia can't be an incredibly good gig. Research is important but it's not always a massively time consuming affair depending on your field.

 

[Vic Vega]

So when you are an employee of the state your salary is pretty public. I remember how I had some pretty nasty professors when I was working on my undergrad. I also thought very high of my professors, thinking they made a shitload of cash. I was able to get a dump of salary data for State of Maryland. I’m just surprised how low some of my college professors are making.

Computer Science Professor(s) – 61K -> 80K (These commonly hold PhDs and are in their 40 to mid-50’s)
Asshole chemistry professor that failed many students -> 72K
Professor that wrote 3 published books – 83K

So I’m in my late twenties (making a 6-figure salary). Most of these are the same one's that taught me stuff I'm using in my career today. I’m looking at this in complete surprise…..

You don't think they spent the first 20 years of their careers making good money and then "retired" to their *ahem* lowly 70, 80 and 90k salaries? That's usually how it works.

Think McFly, think.

 

[Nebor]

lol. You guys really don't know dick about research, do you?

I know it's a word that the scientific community uses a lot while they lie to Americans.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

I know it's a word that the scientific community uses a lot while they lie to Americans.

Can you show us where the scientist touched you?

 

[shortylickens]

This thread is full of asinine assumptions and incredible ignorance.

WELCOME TO ANANDTECH!
Enjoy your stay. Dont drink the water.
And have a merry fucking Christmas!

 

[Sonikku]

A lot of those profs have supplemental income. One of mine in college REQUIRED we spend the 80 bucks in the book store for her book she wrote for the class, of which we never actually used. Unfortunately, being "prepared for class" was one of the marks that was weighed towards your final grade and having the book was part of being "prepared". She also changed a few things in the book each year and always required the newest version, so if you had hoped to buy used from the book store at a discount, or to actually part with yours for a few dollars at the end of the year you were out of luck. Can't use it next year, they didn't want it. That's just of the things I know they do to squeeze out more cash. God knows what they do the other 200 days a year.

 

[werepossum]

So you think we were rich or something? If you can't do - you teach, if you can't teach - you teach gym!

I tell my students the same thing, but I don't think many believe me. I love my job, so the pay's not that important. I like my summer off, and I have a generous time off right now. I can't take vacation any time I want, but with tenure, I've got a pretty secure job. Good and bad I guess....

Kudos to you for accurately seeing (and admitting) both the good and the bad, and having a sense of humor about it. I'd guess you're a pretty good teacher.

 

[werepossum]

Also, banging less than 3 super models at once = fail.

Well - they're so skinny that usually a couple of them break . . .

 

[shortylickens]

Do we have a Dire Possum here on Anandtech?

 

[Baked]

The professor whom I work under for 10 years in my previous job held multiple tenure professor positions in the university. Easily makes half a million a year on salary alone. He rarely takes vacations and works as much as I do. And of course, he has his own company outside of the university. Awesome guy to work under. Doesn't make you feel like a piece of shit like some people who thinks making more money means he's better than you.

 

[IAteYourMother]

professors only work 100 days a week? what kind of lame professors did you have?

 

[BladeVenom]

I know some of my professors wrote or did consultation work if they wanted more money.

The time I thought they were unfairly paid was during the summer. They made a lot less for summer classes.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

I'm in a PhD program, and almost everyone I know in it says this route is too much work, and they'd rather go to industry. Those that I know in industry generally tell me life is more relaxed than their PhD was.

+1 Provided you're not a bottom of the barrel, "I barely passed my defense with just 1 published paper" type of student, a doctorate is not a cakewalk.
Hell, being I stopped my program to work for about a year. Was like a dang vacation.

 

[YoungGun21]

I know some of my professors wrote or did consultation work if they wanted more money.

The time I thought they were unfairly paid was during the summer. They made a lot less for summer classes.

Are you sure? At most colleges, summer classes are where its at for the money.

 

[Whisper]

Are you sure? At most colleges, summer classes are where its at for the money.

Not so sure about that. At my school (large public university), classes taught during the intersessions would net probably ~$3k, with full-on summer classes not paying much more. Now of course, you have to take into consideration that the intersessions are generally only a month long, so $3k isn't that bad. But you're also teaching 3-4 hours/day, 5-6 days/week, which can be rough.

I'll second what many other posters have said regarding professors' incomes--they aren't spectacular, but they aren't that bad, and the benefits are generally solid. Plus, after you've gotten the whole tenure deal out of the way, you can set aside more time for additional revenue streams (consulting, writing, etc.).

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Not so sure about that. At my school (large public university), classes taught during the intersessions would net probably ~$3k, with full-on summer classes not paying much more. Now of course, you have to take into consideration that the intersessions are generally only a month long, so $3k isn't that bad. But you're also teaching 3-4 hours/day, 5-6 days/week, which can be rough.

When I teach in the summer I get paid $3,800 for eight weeks. Four days at 60 minutes per day per week. Assume an hour of prep time per lecture, I'm up to 64 hours of prep and teaching. Add another 10 hours twice per semester to write and grade the midterm and final, that's 84 hours. $3,800/84 hours = $45/hour. Only on ATOT is that "not much." And that's as a lecturer, the lowest rung on the pay ladder.

 

[0roo0roo]

So when you are an employee of the state your salary is pretty public. I remember how I had some pretty nasty professors when I was working on my undergrad. I also thought very high of my professors, thinking they made a shitload of cash. I was able to get a dump of salary data for State of Maryland. I’m just surprised how low some of my college professors are making.

Computer Science Professor(s) – 61K -> 80K (These commonly hold PhDs and are in their 40 to mid-50’s)
Asshole chemistry professor that failed many students -> 72K
Professor that wrote 3 published books – 83K

So I’m in my late twenties (making a 6-figure salary). Most of these are the same one's that taught me stuff I'm using in my career today. I’m looking at this in complete surprise…..

If bad times hit you in the private sector it takes a year out of work and your average goes way down

 

[Balt]

If you think a professor only works 100 days a year and is a cake job, then you are a fucking idiot. Ever heard of publish or perish?

There is no more competitive a field than academia. There are very very few permanent jobs relative to the number PhDs out there, and the way to get a permanent professorship is to work your ass off and get published while teaching 4 or 5 classes. Oh, and if you do manage to get tenure track assistant professorship, then for the next 7 years you have to keep researching and publishing until you create a book-length tenure packet that get's reviewed by your colleagues. Guess what happens if they don't sign off on you? You're fired.

My ex-gf graduated from FSU with a PhD in English literature. That year there are a total of about 60 positions open for her field. This was a larger number than usual. Hundreds of PhDs were minted and there also already established English Profs looking for work. She got a temp professorship in Oklahoma for 2 years and then a tenure track position in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma. If she ever wants to leave and come move to a real city, she has to write a book, literally. She knows Middle English, Old English, French, and Japanese, is extremely motivated, and organized. If she went into the private sector she would be making at the very least double her salary, she would be living in a much nicer place, and she would be less busy.

Yup. Once you've actually gotten tenure and you've taught classes long enough to have pretty much all of your lectures and materials prepared/memorized, there are definitely worse jobs than being a college professor. You have to go through hell to get to that point, though.

I'm working an 8-5 now in a cube, and it's much much easier than going through my master's program was (which is much easier than going through a PhD program). I can actually go home at 5 o'clock and relax, without having the cloud of 4 research papers, exams, and other miscellaneous research/writing projects hanging over my head. Spring break? Holidays? I spent them catching up on the research and writing I didn't have time for during the regular weeks. The breaks between semesters were nice, but I had some professors who would start sending out reading assignments even before the first day of class.

 

[Q]

Only on ATOT is making $60-80k per year a low salary. LOL

Seriously

 

[IAteYourMother]

Seriously

depends on where you live

 

[PingSpike]

The hard part of being a professor, I think, is getting the PhD and then getting tenure. I did my Master's work in EE and just didn't enjoy it, so I don't think I'd ever consider a PhD in it.

That's hard, but the hardest part is fucking your female students without attracting to much attention. How do they do it?

Seriously though, having a lot of young college age women around you until your retirement is probably a great intangible benefit.

 

[mattpegher]

In general, I would say that individuals that hold PhD (esp in a science) are underpaid when compared to people in other fields of equal education, and intelligence. It does vary greatly from the college prof that chooses to take it easy and makes 60K/year with 3 months off, to the hard working researcher that pulls in better than a mill because of aggressive research and patents. And certainly, outside of academia they can make more.
The problem is that in general a PhD cant just hang up a shingle and be his own boss, and they are usually the workhorse of companies that employ them. And with multiple supervisors and business types overseeing them they tend to be undervalued. It does however open up a great number of opportunites to choose easy lowpay to hardworking highpay jobs. The key is to find some sideline where you are your own boss.

The variable workload really isnt that different than most professional jobs. There usually is somewhere you can work harder for more pay. Like me, I am boarded in Internal medicine and Emergency medicine, the Er pays more but is more work.

 

[homercles337]

lol. more idiotic assumptions from the black hole that is the mouth of Faux news.

Where else does one find such hatred and contempt for intellectual pursuits and educating the future of the country?

 

[homercles337]

Kudos to you for accurately seeing (and admitting) both the good and the bad, and having a sense of humor about it. I'd guess you're a pretty good teacher.

Teaching high school is a far cry from teaching post-secondary.

 

[Analog]

Teaching high school is a far cry from teaching post-secondary.

Ahem.. I teach electrical engineering at the University Level...