039 (December 1973): 16-18 To the Editor Search

---

Table of Contents

Previous Article Next Article

No Works Cited

AT Mike Shugrue's request, and with the concurrence of his successor, Liz Wooten, this fall I conducted another survey of English department salaries almost exactly like the one whose results appeared in the December 1972 ADE Bulletin . The rationale of my procedure is stated rather fully on the first page of last year's article; but, for the benefit of those who might not have it handy, let me briefly outline my working assumptions:

1. It makes no sense to compare items which are not comparable. For purposes of my survey, I am interested in English departments with established Ph.D. programs of nationally-recognized quality, specifically those 64 which are listed in the 1970 ACE Roose-Andersen Rating of Graduate Programs . Even this group may be too heterogeneous, and as one way of somewhat refining my results, I have broken down the departments I polled into two smaller categories: those in private and those in state universities.
2. I have requested from my 63 counterparts average nine-month salary figures for each of the three professorial ranks in their departments. These data are tabulated exactly as I received them; in those very few cases when interpretation was necessary, my assistant (Jim Scally, to whom I owe thanks for much hard work on this survey) and I have done our best to be judicious.
3. These are salary rather than compensation figures; fringe benefits are not figured in. (I should be interested to hear from readers whether or not they agree with one colleague who has maintained for two years now that I really ought to be working with compensation figures instead.)
4. The confidentiality of the salary figures which my informants have been kind enough to provide must be strictly respected. But it is, I think, entirely proper to indicate which departments are represented in this year's survey. As of 26 September, I have data from 48 (one of which, apparently, has no associate or assistant professors); they are the departments at: Boston, Brandeis, Brown, Bryn Mawr, California (Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego campuses), Case-Western Reserve, Claremont, Columbia, Duke, Emory, Florida, Harvard, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana State, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri-Columbia, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State, Purdue, Rice, Rutgers, Saint Louis, South Carolina, Southern California, Stanford, Syracuse, Tennessee, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington (Seattle), Washington (St. Louis), and Wisconsin-Madison. A 49th department gave me figures for 1972­73 rather than 1973­74, which I cannot use. If experience is any guide, I shall receive additional replies over the next few weeks (even though I asked to have the questionnaires returned to me by 20 September), and those which straggle in after the publication deadline I am trying to meet will be incorporated in a final report which I shall send directly to participating chairmen.

Here, then, are this year's findings.

Full Professors. Average nine-month salaries for full professors of English in all 48 participating departments range from a low of $16,400 to a high of $26,345. The average average salary for full professors in these departments is $21,554; the median average salary is $21,720.

In the 21 responding departments in private universities , average nine-month salaries for full professors of English range from a low of $16,400 to a high of $26,345. The average average salary for full professors in these departments is $21,456; the median average salary is $21,850.

In the 27 responding departments in state universities , average nine-month salaries for full professors of English range from a low of $17,877 to a high of $26,092. The average average salary for full professors in these departments is $21,631; the median average salary is $21,540.

Associate Professors. Average nine-month salaries for associate professors of English in all 47 participating departments range from a low of $12,876 to a high of $18,316. The average average salary for associate professors in these departments is $15,271; the median average salary is $15,330.

In the 20 responding departments in private universities , average nine-month salaries for associate professors of English range from a low of $13,000 to a high of $17,000. The average average salary for associate professors in these departments is $15,153; the median average salary is $15,488.

In the 27 responding departments in state universities , average nine-month salaries for associate professors of English range from a low of $12,876 to a high of $18,316. The average average salary for associate professors in these departments is $15,357; the median average salary is $15,314.

Assistant Professors. Average nine-month salaries for assistant professors of English in all 47 participating departments range from a low of $10,950 to a high of $14,220. The average average salary for assistant professors in these departments is $12,039; the median average salary is $12,150.

In the 20 responding departments in private universities , average nine-month salaries for assistant professors of English range from a low of $11,000 to a high of $13,500. The average average salary for assistant professors in these departments is $12,053; the median average salary is $12,090.

In the 27 responding departments in state universities , average nine-month salaries for assistant professors of English range from a low of $10,950 to a high of $14,220. The average average salary in these departments is $12,029; the median average is $12,200.

I am not at all sure how useful an exercise it is to compare this year's average salary figures with last year's. The 48 departments represented in the two surveys are not quite the same ones, though most of those which responded in 1973­74 are repeaters from 1972­73. And even if the two groups were identical, promotions, retirements, deaths, resignations, new appointments, and changed responsibilities would obviously have contributed, along with individual salary increases, to changing the averages in each category from last year to this within many of the departments surveyed and therefore in the aggregate. But, for whatever they may be worth, here are the figures for 1972­73 alongside those for 1973­74:

Two-Year College Career Staffing Center

The American Association of Community and Junior Colleges maintains a Career Staffing Center for its member institutions and those individuals who would like to be considered for staff positions at the more than 900 member colleges. Write for details to AACJC Career Staffing Center, P.O. Box 298, Alexandria, Va. 22314.

University of Kansas

© 1973 by the Association of Departments of English. All Rights Reserved.

ADE Bulletin 039 (December 1973): 16-18

---

Table of Contents

Previous Article Next Article

No Works Cited