March-April 2006

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The Annual Report On The Economic Status Of The Profession, 2005–06

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The Annual Report On The Economic Status Of The Profession, 2005–06

List of Tables and Figures
Explanation of Statistical Data
Report in .pdf format

Highlights of the report:

Although overall average faculty salaries remained depressed in 2005–06, salary levels varied considerably between and among types of institutions and categories of faculty. In addition to exploring that variation in detail, this year’s report compares faculty salaries with other economic indicators and explores an issue of continuing concern: the low pay rates of part-time faculty. Highlights of the report include:

  • Overall average faculty salaries rose 3.1 percent between 2004–05 and 2005–06, falling below the rate of inflation for the second consecutive year. The last time inflation-adjusted salaries declined for two consecutive years was from 1978–79 to 1980–81.
  • Full-time faculty who continued from the previous year at the same institution did not fare much better. Their salaries rose 4.4 percent on average, but their inflationadjusted increase—1.0 percent—was the lowest since 1996–97.
  • The salary gap between full-time faculty at public colleges and universities and their counterparts at private institutions continued to widen in 2005–06. This serious and continuing gap disadvantages public institutions in trying to attract and retain the most qualified faculty.
  • Although most faculty members probably do not choose a career in academe for the paycheck, increasing disparities in compensation between faculty and other highly educated professionals make it more difficult to recruit the best students into academic careers.
  • As both public and private institutions recover from the economic difficulties of the past few years, their presidents seem to be reaping the rewards of that recovery. Between 1995 and 2005, median salaries for presidents rose 29 percent, while salaries for full-time faculty increased only 9 percent.
  • The increasing costs of benefits, especially medical insurance, continue to strain college and university budgets. This report compares benefits for faculty with those offered to employees in other sectors.
  • The number of faculty employed part time has continued to increase. The report’s comparison of the pay of part-time faculty to that of workers with substantially less education is not encouraging. The low pay of part-time faculty is a problem that must be resolved to protect the quality of higher education.

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