BeauJangles
Lifer
- Aug 26, 2001
- 13,941
- 1
- 0
First of all, irwincur, being a professor is a lot more work than you think. Most people do it because they love the subject they've learned about - so much so that they spend their time writing, researching, etc...
Secondly, professors, at top universities in the country, get paid a LOT more than what you guys are saying. ... the average salary at places like Duke, Harvard, Princeton, etc is in excess of $130k / year. Department heads can easily top $250k.
Being a professor is a veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery good job, if you love to teach and learn.
Secondly, professors, at top universities in the country, get paid a LOT more than what you guys are saying. ... the average salary at places like Duke, Harvard, Princeton, etc is in excess of $130k / year. Department heads can easily top $250k.
Being a professor is a veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery good job, if you love to teach and learn.
Maybe not in a private school, but I went to a sizable public school and the teachers were most definitely unionized.
I don't know if one can say the average proj makes LOTS of money, but considering summers off, extended winter break, and the sheer volume of slacking you can do as a prof, especially once you are tenured, 99% of them have no business pissing and moaning about their pay all the time. Profs at my alma mater are eligible for the same cushy benefits and are even entitled to low-cost housing in a subdivision owned by the college!
Thankfully, I don't think most of my profs honestly felt underpaid; it was just a convenient joke to lighten the atmosphere.
if you're a business school professor at a good school, the starting salary is around 120 thousand for fall and spring term
summer research / teaching classes is around 30-50 thousand
summer research / teaching classes is around 30-50 thousand
dullard
Elite Member
- May 21, 2001
- 25,929
- 4,519
- 126
I think some of you are way over-reacting.
I'm strongly tied to a university; although I'm not on the tenure track myself (could be, but that isn't what I want to do with my life). I have a PhD and have had full control of a class I taught.
Teaching isn't fun and it is a lot of work. That 3 hour estimate mentioned above is probably too low if you are a good teacher. I read 5 books, combined their knowledge with my own experience, typed 3-5 pages of math for the students for each lecture, wrote my own problems (maybe 15% of them actually made it to the students since I wanted only the best problems). Overall, its a lot of work.
Research can be stressful too. That'll vary dramatically from prof to prof, so I won't speak about it.
That said, a professor's life is a very nice life. Flexible hours, in fact you have a flexible workload (you can do as much research or as little as you want). You can often take any days off that you need. There is very little supervision, and no bosses yelling down your throat everyday. You get to do the research that you love - everything that you are skilled at and enjoy doing (this is quite rare in the public sector).
Overall the LIFESTYLE is easy. The work isn't.
I'm strongly tied to a university; although I'm not on the tenure track myself (could be, but that isn't what I want to do with my life). I have a PhD and have had full control of a class I taught.
Teaching isn't fun and it is a lot of work. That 3 hour estimate mentioned above is probably too low if you are a good teacher. I read 5 books, combined their knowledge with my own experience, typed 3-5 pages of math for the students for each lecture, wrote my own problems (maybe 15% of them actually made it to the students since I wanted only the best problems). Overall, its a lot of work.
Research can be stressful too. That'll vary dramatically from prof to prof, so I won't speak about it.
That said, a professor's life is a very nice life. Flexible hours, in fact you have a flexible workload (you can do as much research or as little as you want). You can often take any days off that you need. There is very little supervision, and no bosses yelling down your throat everyday. You get to do the research that you love - everything that you are skilled at and enjoy doing (this is quite rare in the public sector).
Overall the LIFESTYLE is easy. The work isn't.
There's only so many Ivy League jobs, and you really have to know the right people AND be at the top of your game to get one. We should be talking average or worst case. There are people working for Wal-Mart that are also making $250k/year, but the average Wal-Marty is pulling closer to $7/hour, so it's inaccurate to claim that working at Wal Mart is a cushy job if you can get it.
BeauJangles
Lifer
- Aug 26, 2001
- 13,941
- 1
- 0
Very true although there are a bunch of universities (not Ivy, but private) that will pay you top dollar as a professor. I'm just saying I think the average salary is a bit higher than what people are speculating here...
Like any job, if you love it, it doesn't seem like work.
I'd say it is quite possible for a less interested joe to spend far less time developing the curriculum. Many people just do the bare minimum.
at michigan, a large amount of professors have real world experience but usually not more than 3-5 yrs of it. a large amount also go straight from undergrad to PhD and become professors
summer off is hard to get as a young professor b/c you will want to research and get ahead.
summer off is hard to get as a young professor b/c you will want to research and get ahead.
A few words for someone having recently completed a PhD and attempting to find a professorship (in Engineering Mechanics/Applied Mathematics, if that helps):
Professor salaries vary tremendously based on the prestige of the university and the department. The difference between teaching and research positions can be rather large. The difference in Assistant/Associate/Full Professor is pretty large--and that's just talking tenure-track.
Examples (that I happen to know first-hand): Assistant professorship at reasonably-good reputationed state school in engineering: roughly $70K/year. Assistant professorship at teaching type school: $50K/year. Assitant professorship at private college in high cost-of-living area: $95K/year. Most of these will work VERY hard for six or seven years to prove their worth and get tenure. Depending on the school, anywhere from 20% to 60% don't make tenure.
All bets are off when talking full or named professorships--in engineering they make from $100K and up (and by up... lets just say I know several whose first digit is 3 or 4). It really depends on how much research money and/or fame you bring to the university. In engineering, you're expected to bring AT LEAST five times your annual salary into the department in grants (and the department skims half of all your grants to pay overhead).
Many people think professors JUST teach classes. They do lots of things. Many run committees for their profession, most advise graduate students, and nearly all conduct independent research AND publish it. Its always a juggling period. What makes a good professor? That's hard to say... depends on what side you're looking from. I know good teaching professors that actually know next-to-nothing about their field but what they teach. I know some brilliant researchers who are TERRIBLE undergraduate instructors because they can't relate to undergrad students who just care about getting out and doing real world "I look stuff up in the code" jobs. I know department heads that its good that they're department heads--good organizers, but terrible researchers AND teachers.
Its a really political game--like everything else.
Professor salaries vary tremendously based on the prestige of the university and the department. The difference between teaching and research positions can be rather large. The difference in Assistant/Associate/Full Professor is pretty large--and that's just talking tenure-track.
Examples (that I happen to know first-hand): Assistant professorship at reasonably-good reputationed state school in engineering: roughly $70K/year. Assistant professorship at teaching type school: $50K/year. Assitant professorship at private college in high cost-of-living area: $95K/year. Most of these will work VERY hard for six or seven years to prove their worth and get tenure. Depending on the school, anywhere from 20% to 60% don't make tenure.
All bets are off when talking full or named professorships--in engineering they make from $100K and up (and by up... lets just say I know several whose first digit is 3 or 4). It really depends on how much research money and/or fame you bring to the university. In engineering, you're expected to bring AT LEAST five times your annual salary into the department in grants (and the department skims half of all your grants to pay overhead).
Many people think professors JUST teach classes. They do lots of things. Many run committees for their profession, most advise graduate students, and nearly all conduct independent research AND publish it. Its always a juggling period. What makes a good professor? That's hard to say... depends on what side you're looking from. I know good teaching professors that actually know next-to-nothing about their field but what they teach. I know some brilliant researchers who are TERRIBLE undergraduate instructors because they can't relate to undergrad students who just care about getting out and doing real world "I look stuff up in the code" jobs. I know department heads that its good that they're department heads--good organizers, but terrible researchers AND teachers.
Its a really political game--like everything else.
F uck and I wanted to go into Anthropology or History. Aren't many jobs for those majors outside of teaching is there? ='(
I somewhat feel the same way, dullard. ME/ESM is just so hard to get a teaching-only job. And I like research. I just don't know if I want to deal with the complete lack of job security (even if you do a good job) at high-tech places.
salary for a prof is typically not that great but a lot of profs bring in a lot of money from research grants and consulting.
It doesn't matter what he thinks, it's his right to free speech. Who are we to disregard that? As another professor told me, it's a test of the tenure system.
For reference, I go to CU but am from NY and was right in the middle of 9/11.
The canadian government released a document containing every profs salary in canada last year. A lot were in 6 figures (canadian).
In Texas, the avg salary of a full time community college prof is $43,000. IIRC the avg salary of tenured profs at public universities in Texas is around $90,000.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 21K
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 23K
-
-
Facebook
Twitter