The Salary of an Assistant Professor for Life Science
Assistant professors educate those who want to continue their studies after graduating from high school. These students may be part of the 18-to-24 group who are looking for their first careers, or older adults interested in personal knowledge. Teachers in life sciences earn their pay by covering such subjects as biology, zoology and microbiology.
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Education
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Most four-year universities require life sciences teachers on a tenure track to have a Ph.D. in a related field such as zoology or biology. However, doctoral candidates may find employment in temporary or part-time positions. Doctoral degrees typically take at least six years of full-time study beyond the undergraduate degree, culminating in a dissertation. This original work takes one or two years to complete, and is done under the supervision of one ore more faculty advisers. Aside from this education, assistant professors in any discipline also need good written and verbal communication skills, analytical minds for research and the ability to work with little supervision.
Tenure
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To reach the rank of assistant professor, teachers in the life sciences must go through tenure, a process that is becoming harder to find. They start as instructors and then proceed to assistant professor, associate professor and full professor. This sequence can take about seven years to complete, with advancement possible only after a successful review of the individual’s research and teaching achievements. The highest rank of professor protects the educator from being fired without just cause and due process. At that level, he can teach or research controversial and unpopular subjects while still maintaining job security. Assistant professors who do not reach tenure within the specified amount of time must usually leave their institutions.
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Salaries
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The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources conducted a salary survey for the 2010-11 school year that detailed the salaries of tenured teachers in the life sciences. Instructors began with an average $45,049 per year. When newly promoted, assistant professors received $57,272 annually, but with some experience, they got wages of $58,709 yearly. The average for the next rank of associate professor was $68,806 per year, and full professors earned $92,505 per year. Assistant professor salaries for life sciences fell in the lower half of faculty salaries. Those in philosophy and religious studies showed the lowest averages of $51,986 per year, while assistant professors in business management had the highest earnings at $87,248 per year.
Outlook
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts jobs for all postsecondary teachers to grow by 15 percent from 2008 to 2018, including for those in life sciences. This is a better-than-average increase for all jobs. This is primarily due to a projected increase in the population of 18- to 24-year-olds, who are the main students in colleges. Many older adults are also returning to school to either enhance their current careers or retool their skills for new opportunities.
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References
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