Faculty Salaries: 2014–2015 - National Education · PDF file ·...

Faculty Salaries: 2014–2015By Suzanne B. Clery

Suzanne B. Clery is a senior study director at Coffey Consulting (formerly JBL Associates, Inc.), a pro-fessional services and research firm with a specialty in postsecondary education policy, evaluation, and research. Ms. Clery has worked extensively with higher education data and issues for more than two decades. Her many statistical analyses include reports on institutional finance, salary, compensa-tion, and pay equity for clients including the National Education Association, the U.S. Department of Education, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the American Federation of Teachers. She has also worked with individual institutions and systems such as Brown University, the Massachusetts State College Association, the Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board, and CUNY’s Professional Staff Congress. A forthcoming analysis, prepared for NEA by Clery, details the composition, employment, and salaries of non-instructional staff, based on a new federal database.

Down from a high of nine percent in 2009, the unemployment rate in the United States fell to five percent

toward the end of 2015—an indicator that the U.S. is in the midst of recovery from the Great Recession. But underemployment rates still ranged from 14 to 16 percent in 2015, and some segments of the population are still struggling.1 Unemployment and underemployment levels vary, depending on geographic location, type of worker, sector of work, training, skills, edu-cational attainment, and age.

Increased wages usually lead to increased consumption, sales, and production, along with a stronger national economy. The decline in the purchasing power of families occurring after the 2007 recession has leveled off. But the pur-chasing power of families was still 6.5 percent lower in 2014 than in 2007.2 Faculty purchas-ing power also declined over the recessionary

years, but to a lesser magnitude. The average salary for full-time faculty on 9/10-month con-tracts in 2014–15 was $80,369—about a one percent decline in purchasing power from an average inflation-adjusted high of $81,500 in 2008–09. Faculty salaries trended downward after 2008–09, dipping to a low of $78,814 in 2012–13; 2014–15 is the first year to show signs of recovery since the recession began.

State spending increases also indicate the beginning of financial recovery; states increased their spending by a rather dramatic 7.8 percent increase in FY 2015. But, much of this growth was do to federal fund contributions ear-marked for the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Healthcare Act. State spending on higher education also increased in FY 2014 and FY 2015, by 4.6 and 6.0 percent, respectively.3

The forces acting upon higher education institutions—including changes in funding

10 THE NEA 2016 ALMANAC OF HIGHER EDUCATION

levels, in sources, and in the economy—affect faculty hiring, employment, and compensa-tion. This report analyzes the distribution of faculty across sectors and ranks, provides historical and current perspectives on faculty salaries, and compares faculty salaries across sectors, ranks, states, and disciplines.

Some highlights:• Salaries of full-time faculty members on

9/10-month contracts employed during the 2014–15 academic year averaged $80,369 (Figure 4). Faculty purchasing power in 2014–15 increased by 1.9 percent over 2013–14, and exceeded the prior peak in 1972–73 by 7.3 percent.

• Women facultymembers continue to earnless than their male colleagues. In 2014–15, women earned about 81 to 83 percent of men’s salaries at public and independent institutions (derived from Table 1). This range has held constant for the past decade.

• NewJerseyfacultymemberson9/10-monthcontracts continued to receive the high-est average salaries among public four-year institutions in 2014–15 ($104,295, Table 3), followed by Delaware faculty mem-bers ($101,912). Among public two-year

institutions, California faculty members con-tinued to receive the highest pay ($82,381). The salary increase for Arizona public two-year faculty averaged eight percent. The increase changed the state’s ranking to third this year; it ranged from 7th to 10th over recent years. Faculty members at inde-pendent institutions in Massachusetts—the perennial leaders among independents—earned the highest average salary ($110,576).

• The difference in average salaries betweenfaculty members in public two-year colleges and in public research universities contin-ued to widen this year. The difference was $21,271 (derived from Figure 5).

• The share of positions held by women inthe instructor and lecturer ranks remained steady over the past ten years—59 percent for instructors and 57 percent for lectur-ers.Women’sshareofpositionsintheupperranks continued to lag men’s in 2014–15: 35 percent of professors and 46 percent of asso-ciate professors, up from 24 and 39 percent, respectively, over the past decade.

• Averaging over $100,000, faculty in legalprofessions, business fields, and engineering earned the highest average salaries by disci-pline (Table 2).

• Faculty at institutions with bargainingagreements averaged almost $5,000 more than colleagues at non-bargaining colleges (Table 2). The largest advantage went to fac-ulty in the lowest paid disciplines.

FACULTY COMPOSITIONThe nation’s 588,009 full-time faculty members are dispersed across sectors, ranks, and tenure statuses. In 2014–15, 69 percent of faculty mem-bers on 9/10- and 11/12-month contracts taught in public institutions (derived from Figure 1). Only five percent of all faculty members taught in liberal arts and in independent two-year institutions, combined. The largest share, 41 percent, taught in public research universi-ties; another 31 percent taught in independent

DATA SOURCESThis report relies largely on data from the National Center for

Education Statistics (NCES), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data

System (IPEDS). NCES, a division of the U.S. Department of Education,

collected 2014–15 human resources data from 4,571 degree-granting

colleges and universities as part of the annual IPEDS data collection

for higher education institutions.

This analysis excluded 1,376 seminaries, religious training insti-

tutions, and for-profit colleges, leaving 3,195 institutions. An early

release version of the IPEDS data was used for this analysis; our results

may therefore differ from the data reported by NCES at a later time.

The College and University Professional Association reported

2014–15 average salaries in 303 public and 453 independent colleges

and universities by academic specialty and collective bargaining

status; this report reflected 177,125 tenured or tenure-track faculty

members.

FACULTY SALARIES: 2014–2015 11

Figure 1. Percentage Distribution of Full-Time Faculty on 9/10- and 11/12-Month Contracts, by Institutional Type and Control, 2014–15

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Salary Survey, Early Release, 2014–15.

Note: Based on 100 percent of NEA’s faculty salary universe (3,195 institutions).

Public Two-Year20% (120,121)

Public Liberal Arts1% (6,948)

Public Comprehensive7% (40,873)

Public Research/Doctoral-Granting41% (239,818)

Independent Comprehensive7% (39,601)

Independent Liberal Arts3% (18,959)

Independent Two-Year1% (3,941)

Independent Research/Doctoral-Granting

20% (117,748)

institutions. Eighty-five percent held 9/10-month contracts; the remaining 15 percent worked on 11/12-month contracts.4

In 2014–15, about one-half of faculty mem-bers were either full or associate professors (27 and 24 percent, respectively; Figure 2). Lecturers and faculty with no rank comprised the smallest shares of faculty, seven and six per-cent, respectively. The distribution of faculty across sector, contract length, and faculty rank has fluctuated only slightly, if at all, over time.5

On average, 51 percent of faculty teaching in 2014–15 were tenured (Figure 3), a ten per-centage point decline from the 61 percent with tenure in 2004–05. This large shift affected all sectors: the proportion of faculty in two-year institutions with tenure declined from about three-quarters in 2004–05 to 65 percent in 2014–15, while the proportion in doctoral-granting institutions declined by 10 percentage points from 64 percent in the early 2000s to 58 percent in 2014–15.6

FACULTY SALARIES

Historical PerspectiveFigure 4 displays faculty purchasing power and the annual percentage change in purchasing power from year to year, since 1972–73—the previous high. A negative annual change indi-cates an erosion of purchasing power; a value of zero indicates steady purchasing power, and a positive change indicates a gain. Average sala-ries for faculty members on 9/10-month con-tracts, before adjusting for inflation, increased 480 percent since 1972–73, 7.3 percent when adjusting for inflation. The average salary for faculty members in 2014–15 ($80,369) repre-sents a $5,496 constant dollar—or purchasing power—increase over 1972–73, the previous high ($4,873).

The stagflation of the 1970s eroded sala-ries and purchasing power.7 During the 1980s, the economy began to recover, as did faculty salaries. Faculty purchasing power continued


Figure 2. Percentage Distribution of Full-Tme Faculty on 9/10-Month Contracts, by Rank, 2014–15



Professor27% (134,420)

Associate24% (119,556)

Lecturer7% (34,327)

Instructor13% (65,561)

Assistant23% (114,820)

No Rank6% (32,128)

Figure 3. Percentage of Faculty on 9/10- and 11/12-Month Contracts Tenured, by Institutional Type, 2004–05 and 2014–15


Note: Based on 61 percent (1,952 institutions) of NEA’s salary universe reporting tenure data.

61%

51%

74%

65%61%

54%

64%

55%58%

48%

Institutional Type

Percent of Faculty

0

20

40

60

80

100

2014–15

2004–05

Research/Doctoral-Granting

Institutions

ComprehensiveInstitutions

Liberal ArtsInstitutions

Two-YearInstitutions

Average


Figure 4. Average Salaries of Full-Time Faculty on 9/10-Month Contracts by Academic Year, 1972–73 to 2014–15

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, 1990, “Salaries of Full-Time Instructional Faculty on 9- and 10-Month Contracts in Institutions of Higher Education, 1979–80 through 1989–90,” U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Salary Survey, 1999–00 to 2014–15.

-12

-10

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6%Percentage C

hange in Purchasing Power

Percent

Percentage Change in Purchasing Power

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

$90,000

Constant 2014–15 Dollars

Current Dollars

2014–15

2013–14

2012–13

2011–12

2010–11

2009–10

2008–09

2007–08

2006–07

2005–06

2004–05

2003–04

2002–03

2001–02*

1999–00

1998–99

1997–98

1996–97

1995–96

1994–95

1993–94

1992–93

1991–92

1990–91

1989–90

1987–88

1985–86

1984–85

1982–83

1981–82

1980–81

1979–80

1975–76

1972–73

Purc

hasi

ng P

ower

Average Salary

upward through the 1990s, finally exceeding its 1972 peak in 1996–97. Purchasing power fluc-tuated between the late 1990s and early 2000s, but remained above the 1972 high each year. It reached a new high of $81,500 in 2008–09. The recession beginning in 2007 resulted in another dip. Accompanied by furloughs and salary freezes, purchasing power fell by about three percent ($2,686) between 2008–09 and 2012–13. The average salary in 2014–15 ($80,369) reflects the beginning of the economic recov-ery, but this amount is one percent ($1,131) less than the 2008–09 high.

SALARIES IN 2014–15The average salary for faculty on 9/10-month contracts in 2014–15 ($80,369) represents a 2.1 percent increase since 2013–14. Salary differ-entials exist across institutional sectors, ranks, genders, disciplines, and states. For example,

faculty teaching in independent institutions averaged over $11,000 more than colleagues in public institutions, a 15 percentage point dif-ferential ($88,344 and $76,980, respectively; Figure 5). The relative difference between the two figures has remained steady over time.8

SALARIES BY ACADEMIC RANK AND SECTORHigher salaries and academic ranks are cor-related, and the relative differential between average salaries across the ranks has persisted. Among faculty in public institutions, full pro-fessors averaged $101,432 in 2014–15; associ-ates and assistants earned about three-quarters ($76,329) and two-thirds ($66,062) of the sala-ries of full professors, respectively. Instructors, lecturers, and faculty with no rank in public institutions earned about one-half the average salaries of full professors.


With the exception of instructors, facultymembers teaching at independents averaged more than their colleagues in public institu-tions. The professor rank showed the larg-est salary differential ($123,409 and $101,432, respectively). The differential between full pro-fessors and faculty in the assistant and associate ranks is much larger at independent than pub-lic institutions. The high average salary paid to full professors at independents accounts for this difference. The differential between full and assistant professors averaged $54,675 at inde-pendents and $35,370 at public institutions.

Faculty salaries at independent doctoral-granting institutions averaged about $13,000 more than that of colleagues at public doctor-als ($98,301 and $85,176, respectively). Faculty teaching at public institutions had a salary advantage only in the two-year sector, where community college faculty earned $27,159

more than faculty at two-year independents ($63,905 and $36,746, respectively).9

SALARIES BY GENDERContinuing a long-term pattern, men earned more than women in nearly all ranks and insti-tutional types in 2014–15 (Table 1). Female fac-ulty averaged 83 percent of males’ earnings at public institutions, and 81 percent at indepen-dents in 2014–15—the same ratios as a decade ago.10 The advantage favored females only in small sectors or in lower-paying ranks, such as independent two-year institutions, or instruc-tors and lecturers in liberal arts and compre-hensive independents.

Women,nowalmostone-halfoftheprofes-soriate (46 percent), remain concentrated in the lower ranks. Men dominate the full profes-sor and associate ranks—65 and 54 percent, respectively—while the majority of faculty in

Figure 5. Average Salaries for Faculty on 9/10-Month Contracts, by Faculty Rank and Institutional Type, 2014–15



Rank Institution Type

Average Salary

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

$140,000

Independent

Public

DoctoralCompre-hensive

BaccalaureateTwo-YearNo RankLecturerInstructorAssistantAssociateProfessorAverage

$76,

980 $8

8,34

4

$76,

329

$83,

370

$66,

062

$68,

734

$53,

625

$50,

645

$52,

559

$61,

882

$55,

421 $6

7,90

4

$63,

905

$36,

746

$68,

544

$72,

717

$70,

225

$69,

181 $8

5,17

6 $98,

301

$101

,432

$123

,409


Table 1. Average Salaries for Men and Women Faculty on 9/10-Month Contracts, by Institutional Type, Control, and Rank, 2014–15

Institutional Public Private Type and Rank Women Men Women Men Institutions Institutions Average

Two-Year Institutions

Professor $ 72,551 $ 75,838 $ 58,667 $ 54,530 53% 54% 53%

Associate 63,146 64,643 60,129 64,819 56 60 56

Assistant 55,970 56,843 54,990 49,176 58 64 58

Instructor 65,315 67,724 49,785 15,1181 54 34 54

Lecturer 50,534 51,166 10,1991 58,995 57 1001 64

No Rank 56,522 58,415 46,931 49,037 55 44 55

Average 62,714 65,108 40,814 31,445 55 56 55

Liberal Arts Institutions

Professor 87,785 92,426 94,296 96,883 32 36 35

Associate 70,910 75,059 72,223 72,886 43 48 47

Assistant 60,406 62,899 58,189 59,260 47 52 50

Instructor 50,447 55,921 46,023 43,616 58 61 60

Lecturer 55,686 56,830 61,693 61,341 52 62 58

No Rank 49,438 52,142 57,837 58,082 45 51 50

Average 64,468 71,973 69,357 75,642 45 47 46

Comprehensive Institutions

Professor 87,150 90,424 84,479 87,094 36 36 36

Associate 71,441 73,669 68,917 71,301 45 45 45

Assistant 60,960 62,994 57,413 58,421 52 54 53

Instructor 46,725 47,361 46,493 45,716 62 60 61

Lecturer 50,469 53,044 53,628 56,815 54 55 55

No Rank 54,135 58,101 61,946 69,754 56 46 50

Average 66,700 73,359 65,901 71,846 47 46 47

Research/Doctoral-Granting Institutions

Professor 107,783 121,926 127,690 147,358 28 28 28

Associate 80,144 85,984 86,184 93,049 43 44 43

Assistant 68,908 74,810 71,136 77,650 49 50 49

Instructor 47,382 50,024 52,582 54,629 61 57 60

Lecturer 51,586 55,970 61,160 69,594 56 55 56

No Rank 52,627 56,964 64,869 75,647 57 48 53

Average 74,505 92,471 84,380 107,118 43 42 42

Average

Professor 93,013 106,424 112,628 128,450 36 31 35

Associate 73,164 79,106 80,109 86,054 47 45 46

Assistant 63,423 68,810 66,136 71,381 52 51 52

Instructor 53,537 54,250 50,315 51,272 59 58 59

Lecturer 51,169 54,466 58,852 65,910 56 56 57

No Rank 54,082 57,362 63,117 72,326 56 48 53

Average 69,405 83,167 77,685 95,695 47 44 46


Note: Based on 100 percent of NEA’s faculty salary universe (3,195 institutions).1 One college (Graduate School USA) employs virtually all lecturers that teach in private two-year institutions (225 0f 233). All these lecturers are women, who earn an average of $9,000. Male instructors at Graduate School USA, the majority of instructors at two-year private institutions, also average $9,000.

Women Faculty as a Percent of Total Faculty

Average Salaries

Public Institutions Private Institutions


the lower-paid instructor and lecturer ranks are women—59 and 57 percent.Women fac-ulty are more likely to teach in lower-paid com-munity colleges, while men are represented in larger numbers in the upper ranks of the bet-ter-paying doctoral-granting universities.

SALARY BY DISCIPLINE AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING STATUSFaculty teaching in legal professions, business fields, and engineering top the charts with sal-aries averaging over $100,000 (Table 2); these three fields have led the salary rankings for many years. Likewise, English language and literature/letters, library science, and visual and performing arts are perennially at the bot-tom of the salary ranks. Salaries for these three disciplines averaged about $70,000 in 2014–15.

The salary advantage for faculty with the benefit of collective bargaining averaged $4,911 in 2014–15. In all but two disciplines—engi-neering and legal professions, two of the three highest paid disciplines—faculty with collec-tive bargaining benefits had higher average salaries than colleagues with no union sup-port.Whereunionizationwaspresent,facultyteaching in the lowest paid disciplines had the largest earnings advantage over non-unionized colleagues; the differential by discipline ranged from about $9,000 to over $11,000.

SALARIES BY STATEFaculty salaries vary widely by state and sector as do year-to-year salary changes. State budget changes may result in layoffs, salary freezes, or nominal raises. Changes may also result from replacing senior faculty with less expensive juniors. Shifts in the mix of faculty by disci-pline—usually gradual shifts—may also affect salaries, as may the presence of collective bar-gaining within a state.

The rankings of faculty salaries by state usu-ally remain relatively stable; the same states consistently rank at the top or the bottom. New Jersey, Delaware, California, and Connecticuthistorically vie for ranks one through four in the

publicfour-yearsector;NewJerseytookthenum-ber one rank in 2014–15 with an average salary of $104,295 (Table 3). Delaware ranked second, with salaries for public four-year faculty averag-ing $101,912. Connecticut and California ranked third and fourth, respectively, with salaries aver-aging about $98,000. Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana perennially appear at the bottom of the rankings for public four-year institutions.

Public four-year faculty inNew Jersey andDelaware only received small average salary increases between 2013–14 and 2014–15—0.3 and 1.2 percent, respectively. Faculty fared bet-ter in public four-year institutions in Connect-icut and California where increases averaged 3.6 and 2.2 percent, respectively. The change in cost of living was minimal between 2013–14 and 2014–15, so salary increases resulted in direct gains in purchasing power.

State rankings among public two-year insti-tutions, usually consistent over time, showed a noteworthy shift in 2014–15: California and Michigan retained their first- and second-place salary rankings, but salaries at Arizona’s public two-year colleges increased by an 8.0 percent average, to $76,083, moving the state from its historical ranking between seventh and tenth place to a third-place rank.

The difference in the average salary range from the highest to lowest ranked state is about $38,000 in the public two- and four-year sec-tors. The average faculty salary ranking is simi-lar in many states. Connecticut, for example, ranks third and fourth among two-year and four-year institutions, respectively; similarly, WestVirginiaranks46thand45thforthetwosectors. The rankings differ significantly in a few states. Faculty salaries at Oregon’s public two-year institutions rank 12th; while salaries at its four-year institutions rank 32nd. Indiana’s average faculty salary rankings for the two sec-tors are 47th and 18th, respectively.

In all states, faculty earned more in public four-year institutions than in two-year insti-tutions, but the difference varies widely. In Wisconsin, four-year facultymembers have a


Table 2. Average Salary by Discipline and Collective Bargaining Status, 2014–15

Difference, Average Salary Total Non-Collective Collective (Collective - Discipline Average Bargaining Bargaining Non-Collective)

All Fields $ 81,818 $ 81,153 $ 86,064 $ 4,911

Library Science 70,074 67,061 78,128 11,067

Communication, Journalism and Related Services 72,770 69,161 78,656 9,495

Visual and Performing Arts 69,709 65,244 74,097 8,853

Communications Technologies/ Technicians and Support Services 71,807 69,463 78,193 8,730

Education 72,604 69,883 78,494 8,611

Psychology 74,279 72,044 80,653 8,609

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies 82,343 77,182 85,776 8,594

Philosophy and Religious Studies 74,262 70,938 79,481 8,543

Security and Protective Services (Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and and Related Protective Services) 72,143 69,709 78,208 8,499

History 71,760 67,944 76,147 8,203

English Language and Literature/ Letters 70,193 66,739 74,647 7,908

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 73,854 69,237 76,252 7,015

Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences 82,139 82,051 88,967 6,916

Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies 71,195 70,544 77,085 6,541

Engineering Technologies/ Technicians 79,422 77,269 82,925 5,656

Social Sciences 79,162 76,392 81,828 5,436

Physical Sciences 77,814 77,480 82,683 5,203

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services 93,894 94,336 99,448 5,112

Mathematics and Statistics 75,109 74,454 79,398 4,944

Natural Resources and Conservation 78,963 77,210 82,114 4,904

Public Administration and Social Service Professions 77,474 76,397 80,851 4,454

Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences 83,363 82,954 87,279 4,325

Biological and Biomedical Sciences 81,084 83,133 87,385 4,252

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Humanities 73,910 73,357 76,708 3,351

Architecture and Related Services 84,405 83,374 86,170 2,796

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services 112,045 113,604 116,397 2,793

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 81,483 85,089 87,778 2,689

Family and Consumer Sciences/ Human Sciences 76,965 76,254 78,506 2,252

Engineering 102,089 102,582 100,750 –1,832

Legal Professions and Studies 119,501 114,301 112,194 –2,107

Source: College and University Professional Association. 2014–15 National Faculty Salary Survey by Discipline and Rank in Four-Year Colleges and Universities.

Note: Arranged in decending order of difference in average salary: collective bargaining minus non-collective bargaining.

Average Salary


Table 3. Average Salaries for Faculty on 9/10-Month Contracts, by Institutional Type and State, 2014–15

Change Change Change Average from Average from Average from Salary Rank 2013–14 Salary Rank 2013–14 Salary Rank 2013–14

National Average $ 63,778 * 0.9% $ 82,133 * 2.1% $ 88,213 * 2.5%

Alaska 64,134 15 17.0 78,995 26 2.3 50,912 48 9.1Alabama 53,186 32 -0.8 77,025 31 0.3 60,871 38 2.6Arkansas 45,028 48 1.1 65,554 50 0.5 57,764 41 0.2Arizona 76,083 3 8.0 86,508 12 0.9 64,456 35 5.9California 82,381 1 0.5 98,005 4 2.2 107,270 3 3.2

Colorado 53,364 31 4.2 79,020 25 0.9 85,590 12 0.6Connecticut 74,805 4 4.2 98,399 3 3.6 106,966 4 1.4District of Columbia * * * 76,377 33 2.3 103,644 6 1.1Delaware 64,342 14 -4.1 101,912 2 1.2 80,885 17 -0.3Florida 58,471 24 0.8 83,313 17 4.0 78,738 21 2.1

Georgia 47,169 45 1.2 74,758 35 3.7 76,370 26 1.8Hawaii 69,132 9 2.3 93,181 5 3.0 77,562 23 0.3Iowa 57,198 25 3.1 91,204 7 4.7 64,264 36 3.1Idaho 49,113 43 -1.5 64,758 51 2.2 56,081 44 3.6Illinois 72,021 6 1.0 82,916 19 3.1 92,692 8 1.2

Indiana 45,710 47 -1.0 82,952 18 2.7 79,347 19 2.4Kansas 51,253 35 0.3 74,605 36 0.7 50,619 49 0.6Kentucky 50,693 38 0.1 72,331 40 1.0 58,773 39 3.6Louisiana 43,324 49 0.4 66,645 49 1.8 82,029 16 1.3Massachusetts 63,856 16 2.3 90,456 8 0.7 110,576 1 3.1

Maryland 68,942 11 1.7 88,835 10 8.5 80,188 18 -5.2Maine 54,914 28 1.3 78,506 27 8.2 82,551 15 1.4Michigan 77,455 2 0.4 85,087 16 1.8 65,584 33 0.4Minnesota 65,078 13 4.3 82,160 21 1.5 73,771 29 -0.3Missouri 54,412 30 2.4 71,142 42 2.8 78,836 20 1.0

Mississippi 51,515 34 1.6 68,262 48 3.5 56,197 43 0.3Montana 50,129 39 2.3 69,027 46 -6.7 54,630 45 3.9North Carolina 49,359 41 1.4 75,806 34 -2.1 86,335 11 3.3North Dakota 54,448 29 2.2 71,920 41 3.6 49,496 50 -8.7Nebraska 58,933 22 8.6 78,224 28 -1.4 65,173 34 0.2

New Hampshire 62,659 18 4.0 92,066 6 2.4 90,964 9 1.1New Jersey 72,196 5 0.3 104,295 1 0.3 107,932 2 3.0New Mexico 50,778 37 6.6 73,242 39 1.3 83,974 14 *Nevada 69,075 10 11.1 89,611 9 3.8 57,527 42 -3.9New York 71,181 8 1.3 86,619 11 7.5 100,808 7 2.3

Ohio 62,033 19 2.7 81,343 22 1.9 71,627 30 3.5Oklahoma 49,632 40 1.2 71,016 43 3.5 68,138 31 4.3Oregon 68,408 12 2.5 76,668 32 4.3 74,950 27 1.7Pennsylvania 63,539 17 0.0 86,065 13 2.9 88,334 10 1.3Rhode Island 60,627 21 -0.7 79,554 24 2.6 105,907 5 3.1

South Carolina 51,021 36 6.7 77,623 30 3.0 58,056 40 -0.4South Dakota 49,109 44 3.1 68,718 47 3.0 54,588 46 1.5Tennessee 49,189 42 0.1 73,468 38 0.4 76,757 24 1.0Texas 56,778 27 0.7 80,089 23 0.0 84,449 13 2.4Utah 51,750 33 2.7 69,894 44 4.0 77,883 22 29.1

Virginia 60,698 20 1.1 85,339 14 0.9 61,272 37 0.3Vermont * * * 77,874 29 1.5 76,598 25 1.6Washington 56,792 26 0.7 85,233 15 6.2 74,503 28 0.7Wisconsin 71,815 7 -7.1 73,671 37 2.9 67,649 32 2.1West Virginia 46,172 46 -0.1 69,702 45 2.4 51,236 47 2.0

Wyoming 58,477 23 -0.4 82,366 20 3.7 * * *


* Does not apply or no institutions reported in one or both years.

Note: Based on: 92 percent (972) of the public two-year institution universe (1,060); 97 percent (597) of the public four-year institution universe (613); and 91 percent (1,387) of the independent institution universe (1,522).

Public Two-Year IndependentPublic Four-Year


$1,856 advantage over colleagues in two-year institutions, while the difference is $37,570 in Delaware. The average difference across states between the two- and four-year sectors is sizeable—$21,422.

Four-year independents paid higher aver-age salaries than public four-year institutions in 19 states; down from 30 states in 2013–14. Faculty teaching at independents in the District of Columbia had the largest advan-tage over colleagues at public four-year insti-tutions ($103,644 and $76,377, respectively, a $27,267 difference). In Alaska, faculty members at public four-year institutions have the larg-est advantage over colleagues at independents ($78,995 compared with $50,912, a $28,083 dif-ference). Faculty members in Massachusetts—the perennial leaders among independent institutions—received the highest average sal-ary ($110,576).

WHAT’S IN OUR FUTURE?Some forces acting on academe have opposing short- and long-term effects on the financial and job security of faculty. The country’s eco-nomic recovery and states’ increased spend-ing are indicators of financial recovery. In fact, salary and purchasing power gains, such as the large increase in average salaries at Arizona’s public two-year colleges, bumping the state’s rank to third place, are evidence to this hypothesis. But, these gains differed widely among the states, and average salaries in other states declined. Large salary differences also occurred across disciplines, years employed, rank, institutional type and level, gender, and collective bargaining status.

The college-aged population is currently declining. And, the current upswing in the economy attracts people into the labor force and away from enrolling in higher education. Coupled, the result is a period of declining enrollments that places pressure on institutions’ revenues, budgets, and financial flexibility.

The salaries of many full-time faculty mem-bers increased in 2014–15, but increased reliance

on part-time faculty reduced the ability of these colleagues to secure permanent, full-time posi-tions. And, poor compensation, including the frequent absence of health insurance, further reduced their financial capacity. Finally, the con-tinuing erosion of tenure affects faculty’s work environments and the welfare of the profession.

NOTES1 The term “underemployment” includes unemployed workers who are looking for work, plus workers employed part-time but seeking full-time work.2 DeNavas-WaltandProctor,2015.3 National Association of State Business Officers, 2015.4 Based on Coffey Consulting analysis of the U.S. Depart-ment of Education, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System’s Human Resource data, 2014–15.5 The most noteworthy shift in distribution of faculty ranks over the past decade was the increase in the share of lecturers from four to seven percent. Declines in the other ranks of one percent or less offset this increase.6 Clery and Lee, 2003.7 Stagflation is defined as a period of high inflation com-bined with high unemployment and stagnant demand.8 In 2004–05, the average salary for faculty was $80,786 in independent institutions and $69,648 in public insti-tutions, a difference of $11,138 or 16 percent.9 The two-year independent sector employs only one percent of faculty.10 Clery and Topper, 2006.

REFERENCES

Clery,S.andJ.B.Lee.“FacultySalaries:2001–02.”The NEA 2003 Almanac of Higher Education.Washington,D.C.:National Education Association, 2003. http://www.nea.org/assets/img/PubAlmanac/ALM_03_03.pdf.

Clery, S. and A. Topper. “Faculty Salaries: 2004–05.” The NEA 2006 Almanac of Higher Education.Washing-ton, D.C.: National Education Association, 2006. http://www.nea.org/assets/img/PubAlmanac/ALM_06_02.pdf

DeNavas-Walt,C. andB.D.Proctor. Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014. P60-252. Washington,D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau, 2015. https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/demo/p60-252.pdf.


National Association of State Business Officers. Sum-mary: NASBO State Expenditure Report.Washing-ton, D.C.: NASBO, November 19, 2015. http://www.nasbo.org/sites/default/files/Summary_State%20Expenditure%20Report.pdf.

Statista. U.S. Underemployment Rate from November 2014 to November 2015 (by month). Statista: The Statistics Portal. http://www.statista.com/statistics/205240/us-underemployment-rate/.

U.S. Department of Education. Integrated Postsecond-ary Education Data System, Salary Survey, 2015.

Washington,D.C.:U.S.Department ofEducation,National Center for Education Statistics, 2015.

______. “Salaries of Full-Time Instructional Faculty on 9- and 10-month Contracts in Institutions of Higher Education.” Digest of Education Statistics. Washing-ton, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1990.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Employment Situation: November 2015. Washington,D.C.: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf.

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