'U' profs earn second-highest salaries in Big Ten

No one ever said that professors chose teaching as a profession to make big money.

But according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, University of Michigan professors, on average, make $88,000 per year -- the second highest in the Big Ten.

That figure is larger than any other educational facility in Michigan; the University's closest in-state competitor is Wayne State University at $76,000 per year.

Associate Professor Stacy Bike, member of the Committee on Economic Status of the Faculty, said the University competes more with top-notch out-of-state universities.

"Michigan's not a good comparison for U of M," she said.

Although the University pays its faculty far more than many academic institutions -- and even double some of the other schools surveyed -- it falls well below some of the out-of-state schools with which the University is most often compared. For instance, the professors at Harvard and Northwestern earn about $112,200 and $96,100, respectively.

Bike said although the salaries may be somewhat lower, the University is still quite competitive for the top educators.

"We've done studies that show that at the assistant- and associate-professors level, they are very competitive," Bike said. "At the full-professor ranks, they fall a bit, but they are still competitive," she said.

University officials said it is important to keep in mind that the figures are school averages, not departmental averages.

"It's difficult to make an assessment on an average number," said Physiology Prof. Louis D'Alecy, chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs. "There's a wide range in salaries within the various schools. The range is the problem rather than the average."

Faculty in certain departments routinely earn more than others.

"For example, engineering or medical faculty salaries are more than their colleagues in the art school or some departments in LSA. There are even big differences in salaries within LSA itself," Vice Provost Lester Motts said.

Although the University is one of the top institutions in the nation, it can be difficult to keep top scholars when other schools pay more.

"These are tough times, and money is always tight," D'Alecy said. "It puts them at risk. There's a lot of faculty loyalty here, but it does wear thin."

"It makes it a little bit more difficult to compete to get the top people," Bike said. "It may affect who gets hired.

"You go for somebody who's very good and you do what you can to get them."

She emphasized that salary is not the only factor in deciding where scholars take a professorship. Recruiters cannot always entice educators with good benefits and atmosphere.

Professors' average salaries:
In-state:
University of Michigan -- $88,000
Wayne State University -- $76,000
Michigan State University -- $71,300
Western Michigan University -- $66,100
Out-of-state:
Northwestern University -- $96,100
Duke University -- $95,800
University of California, Berkeley -- $87,000
-- American Association of University Professors 1996-97

07-09-97