Writing & Rhetoric Salaries

[Dali21oh]

I know there are many variables to consider, but I'm trying to get a sense of how much a newly-hired Assistant Professor of Composition/Rhetoric might make out of the gate? I feel like I've really only been guessing up to this point, and I'd like to see what others have heard/experienced/witnessed.  

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

I know there are many variables to consider, but I'm trying to get a sense of how much a newly-hired Assistant Professor of Composition/Rhetoric might make out of the gate? I feel like I've really only been guessing up to this point, and I'd like to see what others have heard/experienced/witnessed.  

There is a wiki for this. 

http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/Rhetoric/Composition_2014

[bhr]

keep in mind that very rarely are folks hired as straight composition profs, and there is a big range for that reason. WPAs can get a lot more or less than a regular English professor, depending on how the position is treated at a school, for example. Also, the ability to teach Tech or Science or Business writing, all often part of the Comp/Rhet education, will determine a range of opening salaries.

 

FWIW, the University of Maryland system starts ALL TT positions at at least $50k, regardless of field or campus, and Comp teachers tend to come in right at that number.

 

Mind you, that salary doesn't include things like summer classes, online classes or any other extra money generated. Our newest hire here came in at $55k this year, but taught two winter classes and is planning to teach four summer classes, putting her first year income somewhere around $75k.

 

Salary data at state schools is public information, and often can be found online.

[ComeBackZinc]

Yeah, I would definitely encourage you to search around for salary data from public schools as well, which should give you a good idea of where people are starting at different schools. As you suspect, there's tons of variability. At the kind of open enrollment and lesser name public teaching universities that are the source of most comp hires, the range for a first year TT prof seems to be in the $45k-$50k range.  Bumps are usually tied to years of service and tenure promotion, and are often set by the department or settled by negotiations between the administration and the faculty union if there is one.

[heja0805]

The highest I've heard was $75k starting out, but that was a position in Manhattan...

Edited March 3, 2014 by heja0805