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Please indicate the following: School size, rank/position, starting salary, teaching load, geographical region, urban/rural, misc comments.

Please specify as well candidate status and job level: ABD, Post-Doc, TT, non-TT, starting Assistant, advanced Assistant, Associate, etc. since these factors influence salary levels too.

Would be interesting to see gender given that everyone says women receive lower initial offers and are less likely to negotiate!

For example: Research I, starting assistant prof., $54k, 2/3, midwest, small city, negotiated up from $53k

Back to English Lit 2011-2012

AY 2011-12 English Lit Salaries[]

  • Public state university (R2), Midwest. Tenure-track starting assistant professor, $50,500. 3:2 the first year, 3:3 thereafter. $1200 travel fund. First-year service release. Technology startup package (Macbook, iPad, scanner, Time Capsule, plus various research software programs). Non-TT partner hire. Female.
  • Private SLAC, SE large city. Tenure-track starting assistant professor, $47,000, $3,000 moving, 3/3 teaching load plus summer teaching. Research funds available for 1-2 conferences per term. Negotiated for delayed start date and non-TT partner hire. Female.
  • Private SLAC, South, big city. Tenure-track. $50,600 salary (negotiated up from $48,500), $2,000 moving, $1,275 yearly travel, $1,500 one-time professional development/book money. 4/4 load.
  • Private SLAC, Midwest, small town. 1 year VAP. $50,000 salary, $1,500 travel, $1,000 moving. Negotiated for 2K more in salary.
  • Private LAC east coast, assistant prof, 70K, 2/2, $6000 moving plus $3000 research funds for first year. Male.
  • Private R1, Midwest City, advanced Assistant Professor, 63,300, 2/1 teaching load plus administrative responsibilities. 3000 moving expenses plus 1500 startup funds for the first year. Negotiated for a slight salary increase and research assistant in the first year. Female.
  • State University, South, ass't prof, 3/3 (first year 2/2), 52,000. 5,000 moving expenses/summer stipend. PD: $2k/year (until tenure, then less). Negotiated for more salary and moving expenses. Female.
  • Private institution, Canada. First year 2/2 teaching load, 53,400, moving expenses. 2nd year 3/3 teaching load, 54,600 and salary is frozen for 2 years now. No cost of living increase. PD money: 1800/year but cut this year 'unless you are presenting at a conference.' Female.
  • Public R1, South city. Starting Asst. 66k. 1/1 first year, 2/2 thereafter. 4k moving. 2.5k research for 4 years, computer, conference travel, pre-tenure leave. Female. Negotiated load, research.
  • Private SLAC Midwest City, starting Assistant Professor, 51.5 (neg up from 50), 3/3, moving expenses reimbursed up to 2500, +technology, +travel money, female
  • Public state system (R2), midwest city, starting Assistant. 58K, 2/2 (1/2 first year), moving expenses up to 5K, computer, conference travel funds. Negotiated 6K research over 3 years, one semester guaranteed course relief. Also negotiated TT partner hire (same terms). Female.
    • Wow, this was brilliant. Well done! Getting spousal in this market is next to impossible, so you and your spouse must have been special for the Uni. to negotiate this deal.
    • thanks! it definitely wasn't anything we *ever* expected to happen; i think it was situational more than anything since it is, alas, no common thing to manage, even in better economic times than these.
    • that's fantastic, congrats! any tips on how you negotiated a TT position for partner as well as additional salary; etc? Most people I know have only been successful at one or the other
    • see below (i didn't nego on salary, tho, just research--and if i hadn't been doing the partner hire, i would definitely have asked for more salary and more leave time.)
  • Private SLAC, Northeast small town. Starting Assistant. 54k, 3/3, 2500 moving.
  • Private SLAC, western small town. Entry-level Assistant Prof. 45.5k, 4/4, laptop, conference funds, first semester course release. (Negotiated a bit on counting prior experience for a small bump on the salary scale.) Two X chromosomes. And now I can officially kiss the wiki goodbye!!!!
  • Private small regional university, northeast small city, starting Assistant Prof, 52K, 3/4 (2/3 prep), 3K moving, technology, $800/year travel. Negotiated salary up from 51K and free tuition for family. Female.
  • Public State U, Midwest City, starting Assistant Professor. 51K (negotiated up from 50K), 3/2, 8K in start-up funds (including moving/negotiated from 7K), semester off pre-tenure.
  • Public State U, small town, south, starting Assistant Professor. 48K, 3/3, first semester course release, additional start-up for first year, conference travel, computer, lectureship for spouse. Female. FYI, I had a competing offer for more money elsewhere but they still couldn't up salary. (Q: Was the teaching load better here? Is that why you took the job if you had a "better" offer elsewhere?) A: Yes; the other position carried a heavier load, in an area with higher cost of living.
  • Public State System, Northeast small city. Starting Assistant. 53,750 (negotiated up from 52.5), 3/3, laptop, $1000/year travel, $2000 moving. Female.
  • Public regional univ, Northeast medium city, starting Asst Prof, 54K, 3/3 (negoed 2/3 for first year), computer, 4K travel and moving (nego from 3K). Was told no nego room on salary. Female.
  • Private SLAC, midwest city, starting Asst prof, 50K, 4/4, 3K moving, negotiated from 46K, 1K moving. Female.
  • Public state university (R1), non-continental US. Starting Asst Professor, 67.5k, 2/2 for first 2 years (2/3 thereafter), computer, one conference funded per year, 5k/year in research funds for 3 years (negotiated from no funding), 5k moving (negotiated from 4k). white and female.
  • Public LAC, small town, NE, starting Asst. Prof. 46k, 4/4 (3/3 prep), first year course release, 2K moving (nego from 1k), laptop, $300/year conference, small startup. Female.
  • Private SLAC, Northeast city. Starting Asst. Prof. 51k (negotiated up from 50k), 3/3, 2k moving, 2k additional conference/research funds for first year, computer. Negotiated $2500 in start-up funds and house hunting trip for myself and partner. Female.
  • Private LAC, Northeast city. Starting Asst. Prof. 53.5k (negotiated from 52.5), 3/3, 2.5k moving, 1,500 conference travel/year, computer. Male.
  • Public Canadian Univ. Starting Assistant Prof. 74.5k, 1/1 first year, 1/2 second, 2/2 thereafter, 10k start-up fund, 2k annual research budget, 3.5k moving expenses. Negotiated start date only. Female.
  • Public RU/H, Midwest city. Starting Asst. Prof (with 3 years VAP, but no time on tenure clock). 55k (negotiated from 53k), 3/2. 2k moving. 1.5k startup. 1000 travel/year. computer. Female.
  • Public state university (R1), Southeast city. Starting Asst. Prof. 58K. 1/2 first year, 2/2 thereafter. All moving costs, 3k start-up, $300/year conference. Negotiated course release (no room on salary). Female.
  • Public R1. Starting Asst. Prof. 62k. 2/2, 5k start-up for 3 years, 6k moving, one month summer salary prior to start date, computer. Negotiated up from 55k, 3k start-up, 3k moving, $0 summer salary. Female.
  • Private SLAC, Southern small town, starting assistant prof., $47k, 4/4, $2500 moving, laptop, $900/yr. conf. funds (negotiated 1st. sem course release, up from $44k, househunting trip). Female.
  • Private SLAC, Midwest suburb, Asst. Prof. $49k (negotiated), 3/3, 1 yr tenure credit, moving, laptop, $1000 travel. Male.
  • Public LAC, SE Small city, VAP, $50k, 4/4 (2/2 prep), 1K moving, laptop, small startup. Male.
  • Private SLAC, NE Small city, VAP, $46K, 3/3, 1K moving, 3K research (negotiated up). Male.
  • Public State University, Northeast city, 2 year VAP, 56K, laptop, travel funds. Male.
  • SLAC, Northeast rural, TT assistant prof, 51K (negotated up from 50K), 4/4 (3/2 prep), 2K moving, laptop. Female.
  • Private LAC, east coast small town, TT starting asst. prof., $69K, 2/2 for first 2 years and 2/3 thereafter, $2K moving, $4K start-up for first two years, $1750/year conference travel, new computer. Male.

See Also[]

Questions / Comments[]

  • March 17: If they say that a salary is non-negotiable, how non-negotiable is it? Also, when you inform other schools about an offer, do you identify the school that's made the offer?
  • March 11: As of this date it appears not a single male has posted to this list. What gives?
  • Any thoughts on how long one might take to accept an offer? I have two interviews, two weeks apart. I want the second job much more, but I'm more likely to get the first. How much time can I ask for to make a decision?
    • they are obligated to give you 2 weeks, but that 2 weeks is from the day you receive the official offer letter from the dean, not the day the department chair calls you--often the letter takes a week or more to process, so i'd say most of the time you have at least 3 weeks, and sometimes might be able to stall for more, especially if you start negotiations and that slows up the process.
    • They're not obliged to give you anything. It sucks and its just one more reason to hate the market, but there are plenty of instances where people have been given two or three days. At the same time I know of a candidate who talked a department into giving him just over a month. The ball is totally in their court, but it never hurts to ask.
      • ok, well, they aren't *obliged*, but the MLA guidelines clearly state "Candidates should be afforded a minimum of two weeks following receipt to accept or reject a formal offer." and i'm not entirely in agreement that "the ball is totally in their court"--by this point they've gone through an arduous process, narrowed it down from hundreds of candidates to one, and that candidate is you. you! i think it's really important to go in with the sense that as MLA member institutions they have agreed to generally follow MLA guidelines, that those guidelines are to the benefit of *everyone*, and most importantly that they really want you, and you actually *do* have power in that moment--certainly more than at any earlier point! so be bold and confident!
  • C'mon everyone, post your salary and benefits here! It's not idle curiousity--in fact, transparency in these matters *really* helps new faculty negotiating for the first time. If you want to not post the school's regional location just to make it less obvious who you are, that's ok too!
  • REALLY nice to see women negotiating!! It ain't fun, but it's gotta be done!! Way to go, double-X's! :)
  • I'm curious about the salaries listed here, which all seem to hover in the range of 50-60K. Are there any yearly "bonuses" on top of that or are these base salaries? By "bonus" it could even mean a certain amount that goes to a pension or something of the sort. Excuse my naivete, but I'm preparing in case I need to negotiate a salary offer. I'd rather look stupid here than in front of a Dean or SC. The last query I have about this is regarding the actual take-home salary (after taxes). How much does someone actually end up with in cold, hard cash after taxes with a, say, 55K salary in a mid-sized town in Nevada or Texas? Thanks.
    • hmmm...well, i'm not entirely sure i understand the question, but here goes: no, no bonuses for me, unless you count research funds, computer money, start-up funds, summer salary and the like, but most of those are either just reiumbursements or are temporary (i.e. first year only). some institutions have built-in annual or semi-annual salary increase systems and others don't; some institutions will have things like retention bonuses during the pre-tenure years and many won't. pension plans will also vary widely, depending on whether it's a defined benefit (as in some public institutions) or a defined contribution (as in most private institutions). i'd guess that the range of employer contribution to those plans would be between 4-6% annually or thereabouts, w/ a mandatory minimum employee contribution of about the same. and the taxes is a kind of impossible question, but, i dunno, federal taxes on an income of 55K if you have no spouse or dependents or other income is likely to be about 25%, and maybe add another 5% for state? i'm not an accountant, so take all this with a heaping spoon of salt. (also, FWIW: altho 52-62 is most typical, i think starting salary range is in the 42K-75K; that gives you the very bottom and the very top for a sense of the spectrum. check out last yr's salary page for more information.)
    • @poster above: I'm the naif who asked the salary question. Many thanks for your detailed answer. For better or worse, I've never held a real job other than university teaching, so I'm stumped by the intricacies of federal taxes, contributions, etc. It's hard to believe anyone can survive with a family on a salary of 42K. I'm terrified of being jobless AND of being subemployed. Is the fate of my generation to live in constant fear and anxiety?
    • it's true...before you despair too much, do bear in mind that 42K isn't really very typical--the 50-60 range is much more common, and your salary will increase, albeit slowly, as you gain additional professional credentials (tenure etc.). but it definitely ain't a fortune, especially if you have loans to pay off from undergrad/grad school. one other thing to inquire about in negotiations is housing assistance, i.e. faculty housing. housing subsidies, or mortgage assistance. this can really help, i think, esp. if you have a family. good luck--and don't forget that acquiring gainful employment, even if it's underpaid, is not at all a small accomplishment on this market!
    • Student Loans? If you're teaching at a university (or doing any of a number of other low-paid professions that fall under "public service") and have federally subsidized student loans, you qualify for IBR: not only will this lower your payment, you'll have the balance forgiven after 10 years. And time spent in economic hardship deferral counts towards that 10 year mark. Info: http://ibrinfo.com/
    • Just a clarification on the IBR info above: the 10 years have to be spent as a full-time employee at a university or public service job (part-time adjuncts aren't eligible - but as an adjunct you probably are making so little that you won't have to make payments). Same with the time in economic hardship - this counts towards the 10 years, but only while you are in a full-time position
    • Should the above url be http://irbinfo.org/?
  • I wonder if anyone would share their experiences about negotiating positions for a partner/spouse?
    • Well, let me summarize my spousal nego story: I went from ABD to TT in an R1 univ, and I knew that the univ that hired me really wanted me. But I was a rookie and did all the mistakes a rookie possibly could do: because I was so fixated on finding something equitable for my spouse, I did not nego. on salary, course relief (admittedly, a 2/2 load is hardly onerous), moving expenses, start-up or any of those other terribly important things that you can and should inflect in your favour. My one hope and goal was that my spouse (R1 PhD, supervisor an international luminary in the humanities) would be given a TT (blank NO), or a CLTA/VAP for three years (we'll think about it, ask him to apply for this). On this ORAL semi-answer, I accepted the position, only to find three months down the line, that my spouse's "application" for the VAP was rejected (citizenship reasons, ostensibly). By then, I felt so betrayed that I refused to haggle for anything. My spouse thankfully (and in a real boost to our pride) found a great postdoc at a top institution but we have lived this past year in the kind of dislocated and disoriented way that many academic couples have come to accept as their lot. We have both decided to give the job market another two years to see whether we can find a place together in the same city or Univ. (even country would be nice!). So moral of my story: don't have a one-point agenda while negotiating; ask for more money at all times; ask for course relief, tenure clock reduction and all those other equally imp. stuff along with spousal, which may or may not happen, but which should certainly not prevent you from making the best of this situation for yourself as you possibly can. For the record, I have enjoyed my job, my colleagues, and my work a great deal; but this early disappointment doesn't quite go away.
    • i think one thing to bear in mind is that certain institutions just have a policy of not doing partner hires under *any* circumstances, while other sorts of institutions are quite wary of it (a small SLAC department might be worried that a couple would constitute a voting block in departmental decision making, for instance). anecdotally i think it is easiest with mid-tier, large-ish institutions not on the coasts (south, midwest, etc.)--places where the department really wants not only to hire, but to retain and where the location isn't highly desirable. what i did was to ask the dean on my campus visit whether there was an official partner hire program at the uni; if there isn't a program in place (thru which the dean's office will fund part of the position for a few years, and thru which the hire can be processed without going thru a separate search) i think it's an up-hill battle. and i've heard a *lot* of horror stories like the above about verbal promises turning into nothing, so i'd be *very* skeptical of anything not in writing (for starters because even when the will is there, the means may not be). i think the main thing is to try to either gain some leverage (a competing offer) or manufacture some (act as if you have a competing offer--not by lying, but simply by being coy--or consider whether you are willing to say you simply won't accept without the partner hire). and in general, be very, very happy if you can manage anything, because it gets more difficult by the year.
  • Does anyone have any advice/experience with negotiating with a school to sponsor your immigration when you receive an offer?
  • Is it ridiculous to try and negotiate for a computer/laptop for a visiting position? Sorry, I'm new to this.
    • Unless the institution/department is awash in funds, it would be a doomed enterprise to attempt such negotiation. The host has very little to gain by investing hardware in what is--let's face it--a glorified adjunct position. I suppose you could tactfully ask about "available resources" (or something like, "I have specialized software that I would need to install in an office computer. If applicable, would I have to request assistance from IT personnel to modify the settings?" Otherwise, to push for equipment might poison the well.
    • At my university, which is a large R1, but certainly not awash in funds, we have provided computers for post-docs and VAPs. I doubt it's guaranteed, but I certainly know of people who have gotten it. I really think it depends on the school, and wouldn't hesitate to inquire about it during negotiation, especially if it is important to your success in the position (i.e., you will use it to prepare and display media during class sessions).
    • I am a VAP and negotiated not only a computer but also travel funds and research money--no one batted an eye when I asked--the answer was "Of course, what kind would you like?" So I think it must depend on the college/university. I'd definitely ask don't perceive the same harm in asking as the first responder does.
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