Can you make a good living teaching in college?

Question

i would like to become a teacher and make an impact in my students lives. i want to teach them about life and what is good out there. i would like to tell them my story so they won't make the same mistakes i did. which was sacrifice my academics for athletics. i hope to get a masters and possibly a doctorate in education. i always wondered if you can make a good living teaching in college. is it hard to get a position as a professor or instructor? what is the difference between teaching at a community college as opposed to a four year school? what about the subject(s) you teach? i would like to teach smaller classes. that would be nice. i hear you can make 6 figures at a university with a lot of experience. what is the average for any kind of teacher? what about a music teacher? any teachers out there that can help?

Answer 1

Yes, it is definitely possible to make a good living teaching college, but so much of that really depends on the type of college that you choose to work at, what subject you choose to teach, and how much of your time you are willing to devote to research. Large state schools typically expect for professors to get research grants and projects and bring money into the school in addition to their classroom teaching. Small schools tend to be more student focused, so you would spend more time with the students and less time researching. All types of schools hire adjunct professors, which are not paid as well and have no permanent contract with the school. Many schools are moving towards this model for at least part of their faculty. Its a great way to make a few extra bucks, but it can be a really tough career pay wise.

Answer 2

If you have a PhD you can make a nice living.  Though most professionals, will also publish some sort of academia.  Publishing of academia is necessary to achieve tenure.