March-April 2003

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The Annual Report On The Economic Status Of The Profession, 2002-03

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The Annual Report On The Economic Status Of The Profession, 2002-03
List of Tables and Figures
Explanation of Statistical Data

Highlights of the Report:

Average faculty salaries increased 3.0 percent from 2001-02 to 2002-03, a rise of only 0.6 percent after adjusting for inflation. And the averages don't tell the whole story.

  • Despite a negative economic climate, average faculty salaries grew slightly faster than inflation for the sixth consecutive year.
  • Faculty continuing at the same institution received an average salary 4.3 percent higher than the previous year, but that increase was significantly lower than the previous year's average increase in real terms.
  • Faculty at public institutions received lower salary increases than did their counterparts at private institutions. The continuing disparity in the salaries offered between the two sectors means that public institutions find it increasingly difficult to attract and retain qualified faculty. One indicator of this difficulty is the continuation rate for associate professors, which has been lower at public institutions during the last several years.
  • The cost of providing medical insurance accounted for a higher proportion of faculty salary expenditures in 2002-03, reflecting a broader economic trend. Meeting the increasing costs of medical care is a continuing challenge for both institutions and faculty members.

New in the 2002-03 Report

The AAUP has been collecting faculty compensation data for more than sixty years, and a significant value of this annual report is the continuity in presentation that enables analysis of trends over time. The survey process must, however, be continually reviewed and refined. To that end, the following innovations have been introduced for 2002-03:

  • The footnotes to Appendices I and II indicate whether institutional compensation data include faculty from schools or programs in law, dentistry, nursing, business or engineering.
  • Category IV has been redefined to include only institutions that do not utilize faculty ranks and offer primarily associate degrees. This category previously included a small number of institutions offering higher degrees.
  • Tables 5 and 9 have been expanded to include "All Ranks" salary averages.
  • Institutional name abbreviations in the appendices have been standardized to make the alphabetical listing more consistent.

Unless otherwise indicated, the data in this report were provided by institutions responding to the AAUP Faculty Salary Compensation Survey and were compiled and edited by AAUP staff. Any questions concerning the data should be addressed to the American Association of University Professors, Research Office, Attn: Salary Survey, 1012 Fourteenth St., NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005-3465. (202) 737-5900. Additional copies of this report are available for purchase from the AAUP.