Professor's salary in NZ

[np2nz]

If you get a PhD from Auckland or Otago in Business (Marketing or Information Science), what would be the starting salary to teach in the university level in NZ?

Do you know if a PhD from one of those universities is recognized in Australia? I have visited many faculty websites of many universities in Australia and I have yet to find a professor who got his/her PhD in NZ.

Thanks.

[welsh_italian]

If you get a PhD from Auckland or Otago in Business (Marketing or Information Science), what would be the starting salary to teach in the university level in NZ?

Do you know if a PhD from one of those universities is recognized in Australia? I have visited many faculty websites of many universities in Australia and I have yet to find a professor who got his/her PhD in NZ.

Thanks.

I'm not an expert, but this page should help: http://www.aus.ac.nz/Industrial/academicsalaries.asp

As for the PhD being recognised, as long as the university is internationally accredited (which I believe NZ universities are) then the qualification is ok. One of the benefits of a doctorate is that it is one of the most transferable qualifications around the globe.

[TonnyTessa]

As long as your PhD is not from one of those dodgy buy-online universities there shouldn't be a problem really.

http://www.aus.ac.nz/Industrial/academicsalaries.asp

I can't comment on the other universities, but the ones for the University of Canterbury are a bit out of date. THeir salaries now range from $50,949 for a beginning assistant lecturer to more than $151,500 for an experienced distinguished professor.

[np2nz]

Thanks Welsh and Tony for your time and suggestions. Assistant Lecturer, is that what you start with when you are a recent PhD graduate? Normally, How long does it take to become an experienced distinguished professor?

Don't you think it is going to be hard for 4 people (2 adults and 2 children) to live on a salary of an Assistant Lecturer? I am just worried that it may not be enough to live with and I am not sure what people do in this kind of situation.

Thanks.

[TonnyTessa]

I imagine assistant-lecturer is for those without PhDs and I am guessing with a PhD you start in the next scale up, lecturer. Lecturer scale is 63K-76K. Distiguished professors probably have decades of experience so it would take a while before you get there!

[melly]

I imagine assistant-lecturer is for those without PhDs and I am guessing with a PhD you start in the next scale up, lecturer. Lecturer scale is 63K-76K. Distiguished professors probably have decades of experience so it would take a while before you get there!

Based on OH position titles when he was employed at an Australian university I would agree with TonnyTessa about you starting as a Lecturer. A few other comments from me are:
- The salary for Academics in NZ is one of the worst in the world (based on OH investigations)

- Even on a salary in the Lecturer scale I think you might find it hard to live on the single income for a family of 4 (I'm saying this based on our experience/research, we are a family of 2 adults and 2 toddlers).

- Most lecturer position are actually majority research with a bit of teaching. My OH found it hard to even get an interview for a job because he didn't have much published research (even after his completing his PhD). But at the same time they want you to have had teaching/lecturing experience as well. So you might find after you have completed your PhD (not sure of your status ie. if you already have a PhD or are in the process of getting one), that the position you are most likely going to secure at a university is as a Post Doctoral Research Fellow.

[melly]

OH said to add that all NZ universities are well regarded in Australia (well as well regarded as Australian universities - obviously some are better than others), and Auckland and Otago are the top ranking universities in NZ.

[np2nz]

Thanks Tony for your time.

Melly, thank you so much for taking the time to reply my post. It looks like life is not easy even for a college professors (new ones) in NZ. The salary seems really low for a new professor. I always thought that with a salary of a professor, a 4-people family can live a comfortable life. I guess it is not possible in NZ.

I live in the US (not from here though) and I have a few friends who are new professors. They are living a very comfortable lives without wives working and each of them have at least two kids. They did not have to do Post-Doc research or anything like that. I guess it depends on your PhD major too. They studied Business or Computer Science.

I have not completed a PhD. I have not even started it. I am thinking about it, but I feel that I am too old to start now (I am on my early 30s). I am also not sure if I can handle the family life (wife and two kids) and the pressure of the graduate school. I have two master's degrees (Information Systems and Natural Resources & Environmental Policy). Currently working as a Systems Analyst in the US.

What about the professor's salary in Australia? Do they pay pretty good? Thanks.

[melly]

What about the professor's salary in Australia? Do they pay pretty good? Thanks.

Here is a link to the pay scale at the university where OH used to work (fairly comparable to all Australian universities) . http://www.uq.edu.au/current-staff/i...3898&pid=11893

You start at the bottom of level B when you get your first lecturing position after finishing PhD. As a rough guide, you might, if you're good go up one step each year, so you're looking at 17 years to get to prof. or something like that.

[np2nz]

Here is a link to the pay scale at the university where OH used to work (fairly comparable to all Australian universities) . http://www.uq.edu.au/current-staff/i...3898&pid=11893

You start at the bottom of level B when you get your first lecturing position after finishing PhD. As a rough guide, you might, if you're good go up one step each year, so you're looking at 17 years to get to prof. or something like that.

Thanks again Melly for the link and info. Looking at the link you have provided and the link that Welsh_Italian provided, it looks like they start with about $9000 more per year in Australia than NZ.