Being a professor means you will have to teach the students at a higher level. To become a professor you need to have a master’s degree. However, there are many institutions that do not accept just a master’s degree and ask for a PhD. PhD is the highest academic degree that you take up. If you also want to become a professor you must know how much do PhD professors make. Therefore here we will be guiding you about how much you can make as a Ph.D. professor.
Quick Takeaways
1. Location and the size of the institution
- A PhD professor is one who has completed the highest academic degree in a particular field of study.
- The average salary that you get as a PhD professor is around $103,803.
- One thing you must remember is that not only having a Ph.D. will make you a professor. You will need to teach the students in a college or a university.
- The factors that affect your salary as a PhD professor are-
2. Experience
3. Publications
4. Type of institution
5. The subject you are teaching
However, you must read till the end so that you get a better understanding of how much you make as a Ph.D. professor.
Who is a PhD professor?
A Ph.D. professor is one who is enrolled in a doctoral degree. It means that a PhD professor is one who has completed the highest academic degree in a particular field of study. One thing that you must remember is that you will need to take this degree in a particular branch of a subject. Suppose you are an economics student, you can think of completing a PhD in macroeconomics or microeconomics. Being a PhD professor means that you have a vast knowledge of the subject and have done a lot of research in your field of study.
How much do PhD professors make?
A professor with a Ph.D. generally has a salary higher than professors with a master’s degree. The average salary that you get as a PhD professor is around $103,803. However, you must remember that how much salary you will be getting as a Ph.D. professor will depend upon where you are living and what type of institution you are applying to. Also, it will depend upon what type of subject you are teaching and how much experience you have. It will depend on a lot of factors to determine the salary you are getting as a PhD professor. Therefore further we have discussed some of the common factors that will affect the salary of the professor.
What are the factors affecting the salary of the professor?
Following are the factors that affect the salary of the professor-
1. Location and the size of the institution
The first thing that affects the salary of the professors is the location they are living. Also, the size of the institution you are applying to will affect your salary. If you are a PhD professor at a big university like Harvard, you will have high pay when compared to other institutions. Also, suppose you are living in Hawaii, you may get a high salary when compared to other regions like Alaska or Arizona.
2. Experience
The salary you get also depends upon the experience you have gained. There is no doubt that you will be getting a high salary as a Ph.D. professor but having more experience help you get an even higher salary. Even if you are a fresher and have just completed your PhD, having some experience will give you a good salary when compared to other Ph.D. professors. It also depends on your teaching style and how much research you have done so far. Also if you are a full-time professor you will be earning higher salaries.
3. Publications
As a Ph.D. professor, you will need to be involved in a lot of research projects and publications. Once you have a great publication, you will land a job that will pay you a high salary. Having more publications means showing your skills in the research to the institution you are applying to. When you have great publications it will help you to get a higher salary when compared to other PhD professors. Therefore you must try to work in different research and take part in a lot of publications.
4. Type of institution
You must remember that the type of institution will also determine the salary you are getting. Suppose you are applying to a private institution you will be getting a higher salary if you are applying to a public institution, you will be getting a lower salary. Suppose you are an assistant professor, the average salary that you will be getting at a private institution is $100,610 whereas in a public institution is around $87,287.
5. The subject you are teaching
The subject you will be teaching will also determine your salary as a PhD professor. If we talk about a PhD professor in English they may have a lower salary when compared to PhD professors in Maths. The subject which has a high demand will generally land you at a higher salary than the other. If you are able o each two subjects at a single time then also you may get a higher salary.
How long is a PhD to be a Professor?
Becoming a professor is not an easy task you will need to give a lot of time to it. You will be given 4 years for your undergraduate degree and after that, you will need to spend 2 years on your master’s degree. After that, you will have to complete your PhD degree which will take 2-3 years depending on the subject you have taken. Thus we can say that it may take up to 10 years to become a professor.
Does having a PhD make you a professor?
When you complete your Ph. D., you get a title doctor that is used before your name. Having a PhD does not make you a professor until and unless you are teaching in a particular institution. It means that you must be teaching at a college or a university to call yourself a professor. In short, we can say that having a PhD only gives you the title of Doctor but does not make you a professor.
Conclusion
A Ph.D. professor is one who has completed their doctoral degree. The average salary that you get as a PhD professor is around $103,803. However, there are different factors like location, size of the class, type of institution, etc. that will affect your salary. Suppose if you are working in a private institution it will give you a higher salary than the professor working in a public institution. You must also know that only earning a Ph.D. degree is not enough you will also need to get a teaching job to be called a professor.
FAQ
What type of Professor gets paid the most?
The salary you will be getting will depend upon the level of professorship you are at. Generally, if you are a lecturer, and have a master’s degree, you will be getting a lower degree when compared to a professor who has a PhD degree. Also if you are an adjunct assistant professor you will be earning less than the full-time professor.