How much generally do college professors/teachers make?

Question

That is quite a range. I was thinking a music teacher at the college level...I want to major in music, but dont know what I'll do with it. Teach I suppose, so I was thinking that colleges would pay higher than high schools....

Answer 1

There is not much of a demand for music teachers/professors.  I would switch to something more practical and continue to enjoy music on the side.

Answer 2

The pay can range from a stipend per course or even per student if teaching as an adjunct. How much you make would then depend on your classes/student load. Generally speaking, for full-time college professors there is a HUGE range of salaries. It depends on location (cost of living), the level of school (community college pr 4-year), what kind (public, private), what type/ranking (tier 1 research 1 private pay the most), and rank of position (there are visiting professors, tenure-track, non-tenure track, instructor, assistant. associate, and full professor). On top of all that, the maths, sciences, medical, business, and legal all tend to get paid more. Oh, and don't forget that some professors make more money if they are heads of organizations, department chairs, special grant-funded projects/chairs, etc.

Now, also, when looking at the median income, take into consideration that the MEAN is the average, and they do NOT consider the people that have been there for 100 years in a tenured position. Remember, these people get raises every year just like the rest of the world.

If you are in music, it's going to be really tough to find a position in college. There just aren't that many schools of music. It's rough finding a K-12 position, but there are even LESS college positions.

When pushed, a starting salary should be hovering between 35-45K per year for a full-time position. You really won't find any that pay too much more,but there are some out there (re: the reasons above).

Oh, and in college, they are not "teachers", they are either instructors or professors. They have earned enough education and experience to be addressed as such.

Answer 3

Quite a range indeed.  Salaries are negotiable at the college professor level, much has to do with tenure, degrees, written work by the professor, and much more.  A community college instructor would get far less than a Dean of a particular discipline.  A dollar figure would not quantify a "general" salary for professors/teachers across the board, not like it is for K-12.

Answer 4

Sorry, but that is too general a question.  I've heard everything from $40,000 to over $250,000; it depends on the type of institution (community college, liberal arts college, state teaching university, state research university, or private university), the discipline in which the person works (medical professors and law professors can make MUCH more than people in disciplines like sociology or philosophy), and the prominence of the professor.