Total compensation, percentage distribution of full-time instructional faculty, average salary, and fringe benefits at degree-granting institutions, by selected characteristics: Selected academic years 1979–80 to 2006

Contexts of Postsecondary Education: Tables

Faculty and Staff

Table 42-1. Total compensation, percentage distribution of full-time instructional faculty, average salary, and fringe benefits at degree-granting institutions, by selected characteristics: Selected academic years 1979–80 to 2006–07

[In constant 2006–07 dollars]

	1979–80		1989–90		1999–2000		2006–07		Percent change
Compensation, salary, and benefit¹	Percent	Average	Percent	Average	Percent	Average	Percent	Average	1979–80 to 2006–07	1999–2000 to 2006–07

Total compensation	100.0	$68,800	100.0	$79,400	100.0	$84,700	100.0	$88,100	28.1	4.1
Salary
All faculty	100.0	57,800	100.0	66,000	100.0	68,700	100.0	69,500	20.2	1.2
Professor	26.0	77,200	30.7	87,400	30.2	92,400	26.6	97,100	25.9	5.1
Associate professor	24.9	58,100	24.0	65,300	23.2	67,800	21.6	69,900	20.4	3.2
Assistant professor	25.4	47,300	23.2	53,900	22.1	56,000	23.2	58,600	24.0	4.7
Instructor	7.6	38,000	5.6	41,300	6.0	43,800	16.1	52,400	38.0	19.7
Lecturer	1.4	44,200	1.9	48,500	2.6	47,400	4.5	51,200	15.9	8.1
No rank	14.7	53,000	14.6	52,900	15.9	55,600	8.1	52,700	-0.4	-5.1
All institutions²	100.0	57,800	100.0	66,000	100.0	68,700	100.0	69,500	20.2	1.2
Public doctoral universities	28.3	64,900	30.6	75,300	28.3	79,700	28.4	79,800	23.0	0.1
Private doctoral universities	8.0	66,700	10.3	80,700	10.1	89,900	11.8	91,300	36.9	1.5
Public master’s colleges/universities	22.8	57,800	18.7	65,400	17.8	64,700	16.2	63,600	10.1	-1.8
Private master’s colleges/universities	7.5	52,000	9.4	57,900	10.8	62,000	10.9	62,100	19.4	0.1
Public other 4-year colleges	2.7	53,900	2.4	61,600	2.4	58,900	3.1	68,400	26.8	16.1
Private other 4-year colleges	8.9	45,900	8.3	52,500	7.9	56,900	7.7	58,200	26.7	2.2
Public 2-year colleges	21.1	53,500	19.6	55,400	21.0	58,300	20.2	57,800	8.0	-1.0
Private 2-year colleges	0.8	35,900	0.7	41,800	1.7	40,300	1.7	41,800	16.5	3.9

Fringe benefits
All institutions	100.0	11,000	100.0	13,500	100.0	16,000	100.0	18,600	69.3	16.6
Public doctoral universities	28.3	11,900	30.6	16,100	28.3	17,900	28.4	20,400	72.2	13.8
Private doctoral universities	8.0	12,600	10.3	15,900	10.1	21,800	11.8	24,000	90.5	10.1
Public master’s colleges/universities	22.8	11,700	18.7	14,500	17.8	15,200	16.2	18,100	54.1	19.1
Private master’s colleges/universities	7.5	9,700	9.4	11,900	10.8	15,000	10.9	16,700	71.4	11.0
Public other 4-year colleges	2.7	10,200	2.4	10,800	2.4	13,400	3.1	18,400	79.9	37.0
Private other 4-year colleges	8.9	8,800	8.3	9,900	7.9	14,100	7.7	15,800	80.1	12.1
Public 2-year colleges	21.1	10,100	19.6	9,900	21.0	13,300	20.2	16,400	62.6	23.3
Private 2-year colleges	0.8	6,500	0.7	6,300	1.7	7,900	1.7	8,000	22.1	1.1

Total compensation	100.0	$26,200	100.0	$49,400	100.0	$70,200	100.0	$88,100	236.8	25.5
Salary
All faculty	100.0	22,000	100.0	41,000	100.0	57,000	100.0	69,500	216.1	22.0
Professor	26.0	29,300	30.7	54,400	30.2	76,700	26.6	97,100	231.0	26.7
Associate professor	24.9	22,100	24.0	40,600	23.2	56,200	21.6	69,900	216.6	24.5
Assistant professor	25.4	18,000	23.2	33,500	22.1	46,400	23.2	58,600	226.2	26.2
Instructor	7.6	14,400	5.6	25,700	6.0	36,300	16.1	52,400	262.9	44.3
Lecturer	1.4	16,800	1.9	30,100	2.6	39,300	4.5	51,200	204.8	30.4
No rank	14.7	20,100	14.6	32,900	15.9	46,100	8.1	52,700	161.8	14.4
All institutions²	100.0	22,000	100.0	41,000	100.0	57,000	100.0	69,500	216.1	22.0
Public doctoral universities	28.3	24,700	30.6	46,800	28.3	66,100	28.4	79,800	223.6	20.7
Private doctoral universities	8.0	25,400	10.3	50,200	10.1	74,600	11.8	91,300	259.9	22.4
Public master’s colleges/universities	22.8	22,000	18.7	40,700	17.8	53,700	16.2	63,600	189.5	18.4
Private master’s colleges/universities	7.5	19,800	9.4	36,000	10.8	51,400	10.9	62,100	214.0	20.7
Public other 4-year colleges	2.7	20,500	2.4	38,300	2.4	48,900	3.1	68,400	233.5	40.0
Private other 4-year colleges	8.9	17,500	8.3	32,700	7.9	47,200	7.7	58,200	233.2	23.2
Public 2-year colleges	21.1	20,300	19.6	34,500	21.0	48,400	20.2	57,800	184.0	19.4
Private 2-year colleges	0.8	13,600	0.7	26,000	1.7	33,400	1.7	41,800	206.5	25.3

Fringe benefits
All institutions	100.0	4,200	100.0	8,400	100.0	13,200	100.0	18,600	345.3	40.6
Public doctoral universities	28.3	4,500	30.6	10,000	28.3	14,900	28.4	20,400	352.8	37.3
Private doctoral universities	8.0	4,800	10.3	9,900	10.1	18,100	11.8	24,000	400.8	32.8
Public master’s colleges/universities	22.8	4,500	18.7	9,000	17.8	12,600	16.2	18,100	305.1	43.7
Private master’s colleges/universities	7.5	3,700	9.4	7,400	10.8	12,400	10.9	16,700	350.8	33.9
Public other 4-year colleges	2.7	3,900	2.4	6,700	2.4	11,100	3.1	18,400	373.0	65.2
Private other 4-year colleges	8.9	3,300	8.3	6,200	7.9	11,700	7.7	15,800	373.7	35.2
Public 2-year colleges	21.1	3,800	19.6	6,200	21.0	11,000	20.2	16,400	327.6	48.7
Private 2-year colleges	0.8	2,500	0.7	3,900	1.7	6,600	1.7	8,000	221.2	21.9

¹ Total compensation is the sum of salary and fringe benefits. Salary does not include outside income. Fringe benefits may include, for example, retirement plans, medical/dental plans, group life insurance, or other benefits.
² Institutions in this indicator are classified based on the number of highest degrees awarded. For example, institutions that award 20 or more doctoral degrees per year are classified as doctoral universities. See supplemental note 9 for more information about Classification of Postsecondary Education Institutions.
NOTE: Full-time instructional faculty on less-than-9-month contracts were excluded. In 2006–07, there were about 3,600 of these faculty, accounting for less than 1 percent of all full-time instructional faculty at degree-granting institutions. Salaries reflect an average of all faculty on 9- through 12-month contracts, rather than a weighted average based on contract length that appears in some other NCES reports. Salaries, benefits, and compensation adjusted by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to constant 2006–07 dollars. Percentages based on unrounded numbers. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. See supplemental note 11 for more information about the CPI. See supplemental note 3 for more information about the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1979–80 Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), “Faculty Salaries, Tenure, and Fringe Benefits Survey”; and 1989–90, 1999–2000, and 2006–07 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, “Salaries, Tenure, and Fringe Benefits of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Survey” (IPEDS-SA:89–99), “Completions Survey” (IPEDS-C:89–99), Fall 2006, and Winter 2006–07.

NCES Headlines