CUPA-HR eNews

CUPA-HR Salary Survey Finds Overall Median Base Salary for Faculty Positions in Higher Education Increased by 3.7%
March 9, 2009

CUPA-HR recently released the findings of its 2008-09 National Faculty Salary Survey. Results indicate that the median increase in overall average salary for faculty members in colleges and universities was 3.7%, down from last year’s 4.0% increase. This finding reflects the salaries as of October 15, 2008, of more than 218,564 faculty members in public and private colleges and universities nationwide. Salaries are also reported for 5,154 researchers. Salaries were reported by 837 institutions, including 500 private institutions and 337 public institutions. Click here to see the data table for select positions.

The three disciplines with the highest average salaries are the same for all institutions across all ranks — Legal Profession and Studies; Engineering; and Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services. These are also the three highest paid disciplines for both private and public institutions.

For all ranks combined, and at each rank, the three disciplines with the lowest average salaries are different for private and public institutions, with only one exception at the instructor level. For private institutions, the lowest paid discipline for all ranks combined is Communications Technologies/Technicians, Support Services; for public institutions it is English Language and Literature/Letters.

Increases in average salary by rank ranged from a low of 3.0% for instructors at public institutions to a high of 4.0% for professors and associate professors at private institutions. Increases were smaller at public institutions across all rank categories.

There are significant differences among disciplines in the distribution of faculty by rank. As in salary, Legal Profession and Studies tops the highest percentage list for both private and public institutions, and Engineering is also among the top three. At the other end of the spectrum, only one of the three disciplines with the lowest percentage of full professors is the same for private and public institutions – Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences.

About the Survey Respondents
Public institutions comprise 40.3% (337) of the 2008-09 respondents, and private institutions 59.7% (500). The responding private institutions are almost equally split between religiously affiliated (259) and independent institutions (241).

In terms of classification, master’s colleges and universities are the largest group of participants at 46.1% (386), and are about equally split between public and private institutions. Baccalaureate colleges comprise 26.9% (225) of the respondents. Doctorate-granting institutions comprise 18.4% (154) of the respondents and about two-thirds are public. Special-focus institutions are the smallest segment of respondents at 8.6% (72), and almost all are private institutions. About 32% (107) of the responding public institutions report that their faculties are unionized. 

About the Survey Report
The 2008-09 National Faculty Salary Survey report provides a national-level summary of salaries by discipline and rank for all institutions and for public and private institutions separately. For public institutions, data also are reported separately for faculty represented and not represented by a collective bargaining unit. To order survey results or download a free Executive Summary for this survey, go to “Surveys” on CUPA-HR’s home page (www.cupahr.org) and click on “Salary Surveys 2009.”