Assistant Professor: Salary and Career Overview
Written by:
Wilson College
• Sep 20, 2024
Assistant Professor: Salary and Career Overview
Learning is a continuous process, and more and more students are seeking postsecondary education to advance their careers and expand their knowledge. Degree-granting postsecondary institutions are projected to see an 8% increase in enrollment between 2020 and 2030, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This increase is expected to lead education institutions to hire additional faculty, including assistant professors, to help support the larger student body.
More students from non-English-speaking countries are enrolling in U.S. colleges and universities, with international students increasing by 12% between the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years, according to a report by Open Doors. Becoming an assistant professor requires a strong educational background, and earning an advanced degree geared toward teaching students with different cultures and native languages can help you achieve your career goals.
What Does an Assistant Professor Do?
Assistant professors are entry-level instructors in postsecondary institutions. They teach classes, often to lower-level students; grade assignments; maintain office hours; and advise students. They also focus on continuous learning, remaining current in their fields and publishing their work or research. Many assistant professors work with graduate students, helping them develop their theses or dissertations. Assistant professors often work toward becoming associate professors, and then pursue tenure as full professors.
What Are Assistant Professor Responsibilities?
Assistant professors can have various responsibilities depending on the institution, department, and courses they teach. Responsibilities may include the following:
- Developing lesson plans
- Giving lessons and assignments
- Evaluating students’ coursework
- Advising students in their various academic goals
- Maintaining student records
- Engaging in continuous development, including publishing research
Where Does an Assistant Professor Work?
Assistant professors typically work in colleges and universities, in both classroom and office environments. They also often travel to conferences, lectures, and seminars to give and listen to presentations in their chosen field. Many assistant professors who seek tenure remain at a single university or college as they look to advance their careers.
Assistant professors can work in various fields at a given institution based on their background, such as biology, nursing, creative writing, business, and engineering.
What Does It Take to Become an Assistant Professor?
Becoming an assistant professor requires a commitment to education, with many holding the highest available degree in their field. Additionally, they must have work experience as professional educators and have published their academic work. They should also have a wide range of critical skills that support working with students and their supervising professors and performing academic research.
Assistant Professor Education Requirements
Assistant professors must first complete a bachelor’s degree. While any degree can lead to an assistant professor career, students should focus on the subject they intend to follow throughout their academic trajectory. For example, someone who aims to become an assistant professor in biology usually seeks a bachelor’s degree in biology to build the right foundation. From there, prospective assistant professors must complete a master’s degree in their chosen field.
Many institutions prefer candidates who’ve completed a doctoral or equivalent degree. Assistant professors who wish to focus on teaching English as a second language (ESL) may benefit from an advanced degree that provides ESL resources for teachers - skills that help students with speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture.
Assistant Professor Experience
Institutions typically prefer assistant professor candidates who’ve published their academic work, whether analytical papers or research reports. Many assistant professors also work with students in an internship role to build postsecondary teaching experience. The required experience for a particular role can vary, with some requiring more research and reporting than direct teaching, although both may be beneficial.
Assistant professors who teach in a field requiring specific credentials, such as a nursing license, will also need to hold that license.
Assistant Professor Key Skills
Here are a few key skills that assistant professors should work to develop:
- Critical thinking
- Communication
- Expertise in their field
- Research
- Writing
- Organization
- Empathy
Assistant Professor Salary and Job Outlook
The median annual assistant professor salary was around $74,700 as of August 2024, according to Payscale. Salaries vary depending on the employer’s location, budget, and academic department.
The job outlook for assistant professors is promising. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that positions for postsecondary teachers, including assistant professors, are projected to grow by 8% between 2022 and 2032. The BLS notes that this projection is based on an anticipated increase in the number of postsecondary students over the same period.
Advance Your Career Helping ESL Students
Those working toward an assistant professor career focused on improving non-native English-speaking students’ educational experience should consider Wilson College Online’s Master in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program. This program can help foster a better understanding of other cultures and give instructors a broad range of job opportunities by teaching them how to work with ESL students and meet their needs.
Discover the difference you can make in your career and your students’ education with Wilson College Online.
Recommended Readings
ESL Teaching Requirements: Do You Have to Be Bilingual?
Sources:
Indeed, How to Become an Assistant Professor
National Center for Education Statistics, Projections of Education Statistics to 2030
Open Doors, International Students
Payscale, Average Assistant Professor, Postsecondary / Higher Education Salary
