The term ‘liberal arts’ has become rather vague in recent years. Some say it should be retired because it doesn’t really exist anymore, while others argue that it is an essential part of every student’s education.
Regardless, most people agree that there are three major departments within universities where the word liberal comes up frequently: English, history, and philosophy.
English professors teach literature, grammar, and rhetoric (the art of persuasive speaking). History professors focus on events from past centuries, as well as current affairs related to historical figures or significant periods. Philosophers discuss ideas stemming from ancient Greece and Rome, through the Middle Ages, and into the present day.
But what about sociology? What about economics? And how much do they pay their professors anyway?
Sociology was originally considered a subset of political science before becoming its own field back in the late 1800s. Like politics, sociology explores social relationships, but instead of looking at who controls power in society, it looks at why individuals get involved with each other.
Economics also grew out of political theory. Ancient philosophers discussed wealth and poverty, but modern economists take these concepts one step further by exploring how money is made and circulated in society.
And like politicians and sociologists, economists develop theories about why things go wrong in the economy and what we can do to prevent such problems from happening again.
Professors are paid less than professors of science
There is an argument that being an arts major helps you develop other skills, like communication or critical thinking. But these arguments typically neglect to include how much money art majors make!
Many universities have departments with both liberal arts and sciences studies. These departments contain similar courses but one set is financially more lucrative than the other.
Liberal arts degrees do not require students to take many math classes, for example. So some schools don’t recruit as many mathematics professors. This is also true of physical education — there aren’t as many teaching positions available in sports.
There may be less competition for jobs in areas such as creative writing, where writers can make good money publishing their work.
Professors are paid less than professors of STEM
While some may think that being an English professor or philosophy professor is like having a very popular career, this isn’t always the case.
Most universities don’t have any kind of academic salary survey done, so we really can’t say for sure how much money academics in liberal arts fields make. What we do know though, is that there are lots of ways to be a teacher without teaching at a university.
Some people begin their careers as teachers but then move onto bigger jobs such as principal, superintendent, or even department chair. Because they already have teaching experience, these positions often pay more!
Just because someone doesn’t get a full-time pay check from their employer however, doesn’t mean they aren’t earning enough to live on. Many adjuncts find other work while others choose to supplement their income by doing things like writing and blogging.
Professors are paid less than professors of business
Business schools graduate students with large amount of debt, which makes it easier to recruit new faculty members who have substantial student loan obligations. This is why most full time business school professors make at least six figures per year– they have additional income sources beyond their teaching salary.
Business professors typically get higher paying jobs due to the prestige that employers feel is attached to the field. Companies want to be associated with an education institution that offers quality programs so they will pay more for an assistant or associate professor position instead of a bachelor’s degree holder.
This isn’t always the case in other academic fields though- there aren’t many high level positions available for teachers who don’t have a masters or doctorate. It is very difficult to find a position as a college lecturer unless you have your certifications and are highly skilled in your area.
Faculty members in non-business departments may struggle to make ends meet even after giving up some spending money like going out to eat or buying new clothes.
Professors are paid less than professors of engineering
Engineering is typically more expensive to attend, so engineers make higher salaries. Also, students in an educational setting want to be around like-minded people, which helps earn them for their school.
Liberal arts departments are usually not as popular as business or engineering, making it harder to find jobs after graduation. This lack of employment can hurt your financial situation later in life.
A liberal arts degree does not necessarily limit you from doing anything related to business, but it may cost you slightly more money to enter into that field. But investing in yourself by getting an education should never stop!
Education is one of the most important things in this world. It shapes who you are as a person and it benefits you directly in many ways.
Professors are paid less than professors of computer science
While most people associate higher education with larger, more expensive institutions like universities, it actually does not have to be that way! Many liberal arts departments in community colleges or smaller universities can offer students an excellent educational experience while also keeping tuition costs low.
Liberal arts degrees typically emphasize things such as communication, literature, history, and philosophy so they often require no special training other than your natural ability to communicate well and know how to read and analyze texts.
These types of degrees usually do not require any specific technology beyond common tools like laptops and mobile phones. This is why many lower income families are able to give their child an opportunity to pursue a degree in the humanities by paying for online courses through sites like Udemy and Coursera.
Not only are these courses affordable, but you don’t need much money to start teaching yourself software like Photoshop or Microsoft Office. By investing in our own skills, we can help others achieve their dreams even if they aren’t necessarily rich themselves.
Professors are paid less than professors of physical science
While some may feel that liberal arts majors do not contribute much to society, we can look at the statistics to prove otherwise!
Liberal arts degrees such as psychology or sociology are considered physical sciences because they focus more on applications of mathematics and reasoning. However, what makes these fields unique is that they emphasize studying topics rather than testing theories.
These departments have you reading books and articles instead of doing experiments in your field. This has an effect on how well you are compensated for your expertise.
Psychology professionals make around $80,000 per year while social workers make close to $60,000. Both depend mostly on their education level and number of years experienced to earn higher wages.
Sociologists make slightly lower salaries than psychologists but both pay heavily in student loan debt. Part of this comes from students choosing socially relevant majoring areas like anthropology or marketing instead of business or economics.
Professors are paid less than professors of biological science
A recent study determined that full-time liberal arts faculty in community colleges make, on average, just over $50,000 per year. That’s not even enough to live on in many parts of America!
Liberal arts professionals include teachers, coaches, department heads, librarians, and other staff members. They are typically recruited into their positions with little or no pay, and they can spend years waiting for their compensation to rise.
Faculty in community college departments such as English, history, sociology, and psychology do not have advanced degrees like those in physical education or biology, so their salaries are usually lower. Many people assume that because they don’t teach physics or chemistry, their salary must be higher, but this is not always the case.
Some physicists earn more money due to the prestige of their field, while some biologists make far more money performing research and giving lectures at universities and conferences.
Professors are paid less than professors of psychology
Psychologists make far more money than their liberal arts professor counterparts, with some even making six- or seven-figure salaries. This is due to two main reasons: higher education marketing and competition for psychotherapy positions.
Marketing departments at universities employ psychologists to promote academic programs such as business, marketing, communication studies and others like social work. These professionals market the school to potential students by highlighting the educational benefits of attending classes here and promoting the department’s prestige.
Psychology has one of the highest rates of self-employment in the field, so many professional psychologists start their own practices once they graduate. Since there are not very many psychology graduates per capita, there is an ample supply of practicing therapists.
The second reason why psychology faculty members earn more is because there are simply just more people who choose this career path. Due to the high demand for professional psychological help, employers offer competitive wages that only increase the employment pool for aspiring mental health experts.
