Salaries for faculty members across all disciplines rose by 1.9 percent this year, nearly matching the 2-percent rise in senior administrator salaries, according to an annual report released this week by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources.
But a divide remains between public-college faculty members and those at private colleges, according to the report, which reflects data for 813 public and private colleges. Private-college faculty members received a median salary increase of 2.3 percent for the 2012 fiscal year, compared with 1.1 percent for public-college faculty members.
Still, the annual salary increases for faculty members at public colleges were better than in the previous two years, when their salaries remained flat from the year before.
Andy Brantley, president of the human-resources association, known as CUPA-HR, said he was concerned about the divide between salary increases for faculty members at public colleges and those at private colleges. The gap has widened during the recession, he said.
A difference of about one percentage point in median increases might not represent a large difference in actual dollars, Mr. Brantley said. “But this differential, coupled with the differential that we also saw last year, is definitely something that public-institution leaders need to take note of.”
“If this trend continues,” Mr. Brantley added, “it could impact future recruitment and retention of faculty.”
Increases Trail Inflation
Salaries for faculty members at both public and private colleges lagged behind inflation. Between 2010 and 2011, the Consumer Price Index rose by 3.2 percent.
Among all colleges, raises were roughly the same for all ranks, ranging from 1.7 percent for new assistant professors to 1.9 percent for full professors and assistant professors. Among full professors, architecture professors got the biggest salary bump in the 2012 fiscal year, an increase of 3.6 percent.
The three fields with the highest average salaries across all ranks have remained unchanged for five years: legal professions and studies; engineering; and business, management, marketing, and related support services. Law professors earned an average of $135,187, the highest of any full professor.
At the other end of the spectrum, the lowest salaries for new assistant professors varied among public and private colleges. But English language and literature professors were among the lowest paid at both types of institutions. New faculty members in that discipline earned an average of $51,874 at private institutions and $52,823 at public institutions.
Mr. Brantley said he is “cautiously optimistic” that colleges would be able to offer similar salary increases next year, although he expects institutions to remain conservative with raises.
“I do think that if the economy continues to stabilize and improve, public institutions will continue to find ways to reward faculty and staff,” he said, “and private institutions will also continue to reward faculty and staff.”