Special Report Professional Pay in Higher Education

Faculty, staff and graduate assistants should be fairly compensated for their work. But a new study shows pay is lacking, especially for contingent faculty and graduate assistants.

For decades, the pay earned by tenured and tenure-track higher ed faculty has failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living—and the situation is far worse for contingent faculty. Too many higher-education employees, including academic staff and support professionals, struggle to pay their bills.

A new study based on data from the 2019-2020 academic year shows this alarming trend continues, with graduate assistants and educators who work at HBCUs particularly affected. The good news: our research shows that faculty who have a union receive higher pay and tend to face less workplace discrimination.

One thing is clear: It’s time to join your local and state affiliates in fighting for fair pay for the faculty and staff whose work is vital to the mission of their institutions and integral to the wellbeing of our nation.