Educator pay

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Oct 21, 2015

In my experience classroom teaching is poorly paid, once you do the math on all the prep time. But on the surface it should be at least what you make at the bedside. If you are worth $30 per hour to provide nursing care, teaching it should be more, for example. Why should you lose money to teach when you could work at the bedside for more? In my experience clinical teaching pays significantly more, like in the $50 per hour range. This is in Colorado. I once turned down a teaching job at a community college because the pay just didn't make it worth my while. If you really, really, want the experience, then take it. But I would at least ask for slightly more than you make at the bedside, say 15% at least. Then you can decide when they come back with an offer. Good luck!

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Oct 21, 2015

Faculty, particularly adjunct positions, pay substantially less than what an experienced bedside nurse makes.

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 21, 2015

The national average salary for an adjunct instructor teaching a 3-credit hour, classroom course is $2500 per semester (across all disciplines). I have a PhD and have taught classroom and online courses for several years as an Associate Professor. I get a bonus payment because my class is online -- and I make a whopping $3400 per course (16-week, semester-long course). Fortunately for me, I have a full time "day job" at a hospital and just teach a little because I like it and it gives me options for the future.

As you can see, most adjuncts are extremely underpaid. That's why schools are eliminating tenure track lines and using more adjuncts. Check around to see what low-level nursing faculty are making in your area. You will probably be surprised at how little it is. Many faculty members -- even full time faculty members make less than bedside nurses. That is quite common. Once you have found out the usual pay in your region, negotiate a little more if you can. But I doubt you will be able to get much more out of them. Community Colleges are usually in the lower half of the pay rates for a region.

allnurses Guide · Oct 22, 2015

adjunct faculty will never equal bedside staff salary. I make roughly 30 % more with my staff job (only needed the BSN) than teaching with my MSN. Factor in the time spent at home grading and prepping, and it is even less.

Teaching is fun, fulfilling, and totally underfunded.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Oct 26, 2015

(Rant)The horrendous salary inequity for academic educators has always been just accepted with a shrug.. "that's just the way it is". I have never understood why. As a workplace (non-academic) educator, my salary is commensurate with nurse leaders in the clinical areas. I can't understand why my academic colleagues are so under-valued. But this is certainly a major contributor to the worsening faculty shortage. My organization supports several joint-appointment agreements to bolster faculty salaries and support our 'feeder' nursing schools, but this contribution still does not elevate those salaries to a level that is competitive with clinical jobs. (End rant)

AmeliasAunt · Oct 28, 2015

I don't find that to be the case. I actually make more per hour doing adjunct clinical faculty work than I do at bedside, and my bedside base rate is approx. $36/hr. With other colleges that pay a lump sum rather than hourly, I make anywhere from 8-10K per semester. I also teach a face-to-face class about 3 hours per week that pays about $2400 per semester.

everlongRN · Nov 1, 2015

All in all, nurse educators' salaries in academia are pretty pathetic. As others have said, for the work that is involved (hours upon hours of work at home, meetings, grading paperwork, test prep, college and nursing committees, the pressure to publish) I'd really cry if I calculated what I make per hour. There is a misconception that we work less hours: sure we are not on-campus (or in clinical) 40 hours a week, we have weekends and holidays off, etc. I have summers off too. But trust me when I tell you, I am not sitting on the beach all summer. It could be the culture at my school (many of my colleagues seem to put their jobs above everything else in their lives). I actually came here to vent about my current position (and the God-awful compensation I receive for it), so this thread is perfect for me!

I am considering making a transition out of academia as a full-timer. I would definitely continue on as an adjunct; where I live it is more cost-effective to adjunct while working full time in a hospital environment. Many of the adjuncts in my area teach clinical or lab, rather than lecture. A lot less work at home (but still work, of course). At this point, the demand of my full time job is so much that I couldn't consider an adjunct professor (or even a per-diem hospital) position (coupled with family responsibilities). I know others seem to manage it, but I cannot.

I'll leave you with this: The new grads that I taught a year ago make more money than me

SRDAVIS · Nov 1, 2015

Always negotiate. I'm in Missouri and have taught for 6 years. I just took a full time faculty position at a college and was firm about my bottom line. I make comparable to what I made/make PRN. I teach theory 2 days a week for 3 hours and do lab/clinical one day. The other 2 days are office days that can be worked from home, they are Monday and Friday. Yes , I prep a lot but every instructor does that first year teaching a new course. I have no weekend clinicals. I would never agree to that. I get a week off between semester 2 weeks for Christmas. I definitely can't compare my schedule or salary to what I did at the bedside.

I guess it depends on where/how you wanna get your stress. 12 hour shifts, weekend holidays, patient safety issues always understaffed. Or prepping to lecture, teaching to the new generation, pressure to pass students, too many students in clinical. But when it comes to salary for me I make more teaching than I would at the bedside straight. ( no differentials, not PRN).

sailornurse · Nov 12, 2015

Former faculty here. Taught in a BSN program for ten years. Sadly, new grad students earn more than 9 month faculty. Yes, a new grads locally earn about $3-4,000 more then I made teaching for 9 months with my MSN. When I left teaching, I doubled my 9 month faculty pay as a FNP. A few years ago, I turned down another teaching position as I would have to take a $25, 000 cut in pay and that position was for 12 months, no summer or winter break off.

SarahEAW · Nov 13, 2015

Many teaching jobs are poorly paid. Pay is better in hospital educator roles. I taught clinical and health assessment one semester. It was enjoyable, but it took a lot of time to grade care plans, etc. I will probably eventually teach maybe one class occasionally. I couldn't afford at this time to go to teaching at a college or university. Public schools will have their salaries posted publicly, so you could look at them there also.

June59 · Nov 29, 2015

As an adjunct I made only $650/credit for online courses that I must design & upgrade prior to semester beginning. In clinical, substitute or co-instructor in lab, & lecture the pay is $24./hr for F2F time only. No consideration for prep time or grading those lengthy care plans. I returned to bedside nursing where my hourly pays more & I work only during the hours I am clocked in at.