Assistant professors start at $42k at my place if they have PhD in hand, and, given there have been no COL or any across the board raises for 9 years now, probably top out around $50k. A promotion to associate gets you another $500 a year, and there have been minor merit raises the last two years ( forbidden by law from going to more than 10% of employees).
Considering the time, money, and energy that go into a Ph.D., that salary sounds downright appalling. Is there much variation between disciplines? I'd imagine a well-published Neurology professor would probably make more than a History professor.
There is variation; the business and nursing folks make twice as much as the rest of us. But this is a teaching institution; a well- published neurology prof would not get hired if he or she did apply, because someone like that won't stay.
The school is trying to raise starting salaries in the academic fields, and those who know to negotiate can get a couple thousand extra (I did). But it's got to be a vocation around here, definitely, or sometimes desperation. Generally we manage to avoid hiring the desperate ones, but we did lose a chemistry prof today, two years before he would have gone up for tenure (and likely gotten it). A big part of that is salary, though better public schools for his new baby in a few years also played a role.
But we can't offer higher starting salaries or cost of living raises without the state legislature's approval, and they're pretty sure that all this education business just interferes with church and football anyway.
Sorry. Guess I'm a little down about the one we just lost - I know for a fact he really liked it, just didn't feel he could afford to stay. It's all true, though, about the legislature.
