Faculty Salary Data Posted (11/24/02)

The data on UW faculty salaries for the current year (2002-03) have just been posted on the Office of Planning and Budget website. Despite the salary freeze, the overall average has been dragged up past the $72,000 mark due to new hires, notably in the Schools of Dentistry and Business. It is worthwhile taking a look at the tables, if only to see why we have such a public relations nightmare every time we talk about faculty salaries.

Instead of starting with the average salary (which is misleading enough) the tables begin with a column of numbers labeled "High" (meaning the high end of the range). The average reporter or legislator sees the figure $178,776 for 9/10 month service group and $252,000 for the 12 month group and freezes. End of story.

Why not begin with the "Low" category? Does the legislature know that there are full professors making less than $49,000, associate professors less than $42,000, assistant profs less than $35,000, and lecturers less than $28,000 for full-time employment?

Why not calculate the median salary for each rank? Even if the reader scans over to the column labeled "average," what they are getting is a calculated mean which is being dragged up by relatively small numbers of high end salaries (some of them going to Deans). To say that the average salary among faculty on 9-10 month contracts is $72,090 is misleading. The majority of faculty earn well below that.

Below are urls for the tables. Take a look.

By Campus, Rank and Service Period [Portable Document Format (PDF)] Faculty Salary Analysis By Campus, 2002-03.
     By College, Rank and Service Period [Portable Document Format (PDF)] Faculty Salary Analysis By College/School, 2002-03.
     By Department, Rank and Service Period [Portable Document Format (PDF)] Faculty Salary Analysis By Department, 2002-03.