Salary and Career Info for College Instructors
College instructors are full-time faculty and adjunct professors teaching a wide variety of subjects at the postsecondary level. They are organized into departments based on the field in which they teach.
Salary Info for College Instructors
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the salaries of college instructors depend on a number of factors, including the competitiveness of the institution at which the instructor works, the instructor's field and the geographic area in which the college is located (www.bls.gov),. An instructor's rank within an institution - whether one is an adjunct instructor or tenured faculty, is a key factor in the salary of a college instructor.
Adjunct instructors are often paid on a class-by-class basis and therefore make a salary depending on how many classes they teach per semester. Payment per class for adjunct instructors depends on the college at which the student teaches.
Tenured professors often begin at a flat rate dependent on the college. A 2008-2009 survey conducted by the American Association of University professors found that full-time college instructor salaries averaged $79,439. According to the BLS, the lowest ten percent earned $28,870 or less and the highest ten percent earned more than $121,850 per year in 2008.
According to Payscale.com, a college instructor may increase his or her salary regularly by earning additional degrees and certifications. One must also focus on getting published and presenting academic papers at conferences regularly for a steady salary increase.
Career Info for College Instructors
College instructors may teach at either 2-year community colleges or 4-year colleges and universities. According to the California Occupational Guide and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, college instructors must have earned, at minimum, a master's degree in the subject in which they teach. If a master's degree isn't offered within the subject they'd wish to teach, the college instructor should have a bachelor's degree and a certificate or license.
Most full-time professors at 4-year colleges and universities have a doctoral degree within their subject of interest. There are exceptions, though many universities receive accreditation based upon, among other things, the percentage of professors with Ph.D.s. College instructors are required to conduct research and write papers according to this research, as well.
College instructors spend their days teaching college students one or more subjects in their area of specialization; the balance between teaching and research responsibilities will vary according to the subject matter and a school's philosophy and goals. Professors must stay current with any new developments in their field and seek to publish their own work so as to better represent the school and themselves. thereby earning more pay and gaining tenure status.
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