Salaries of Professors
September 20th, 2007
Someone left a comment asking about the pay of university dons. Here’s what I got (based on a thread in Expat Singapore Forum):
Professor S$178,750 – S$270,875
Associate Professor S$108,625 – S$204,875
Assistant Professor S$71,500 – S$121,690
If you think the numbers look high, recall that NTU Professor Bryan Ngoi Kok Ann, who was found guilty of lying to CPIB, could afford to give his mainland Chinese mistress a $7,000-a-month allowance and expensive gifts like a $11,000 Chopard watch. (ST, 26 September 2006)
And remember Chua Choong Tze? He was the youngest assistant professor in Singapore at the time he joined SMU to teach and research in finance. It was said that a person with his credentials can “earn at least US$100,000 at any good American university for a nine-month contract.” And he was just 23. (ST, 20 July 2003)
In comparison, an R&D manager makes only $7,890.
looks right Says:
September 22nd, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Your numbers look quite right when compared with the salaries from the Ivy League universities:
http://www.yale.edu/oir/open/pdf_pu...
(the numbers there are in U.S. dollars)
MJ Says:
November 25th, 2007 at 10:10 am
hi,
thanks for the info..
I’m wondering however, if the stated salaries for profs are annual salaries, i.e. you’re comparing annual salaries of profs with the monthly salary of the r&d manager? Because the pdf showing yale salaries do seem like annual ones =)
cheers
admin Says:
November 25th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
MJ, you are spot on. The comparison is perhaps not fair, given that $7,890 x 12 = $94,680 and it does not include performance bonuses. But it’s already the 75th-percentile research manager’s salary. Maybe what I should drive at is that a researcher working as a professor has better opportunities (in salary) than just a research manager.
MJ Says:
November 26th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
thanks for your clarification! =)
I know both professions are not easy, but hmm… maybe an r&d manager is ‘easier’ to become compared to an A/P, Prof, etc., hence the higher pay for the latter, i.e. not all r&d managers may be qualified to be professors.
MK Says:
January 5th, 2008 at 5:09 am
The Assist Prof (AP) salary has a big varation. how about a person joining as AP from top 5 universities in US and has 3+ years post PhD experience?
x Says:
May 25th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
NONSENSE!!!
NUS assistant professors earn 72,000
associate professors 90,000
full professors start at 168,000, but the university is going to lower this.
NUS salaries are far below what people earn in the US, which is why nobody wants to go there!
sg Says:
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Latest info. from sg- include the performance bonus and 13th month.
Professor S$208,450 – S$320,455
Associate Professor S$138,625 – S$234,567
Assistant Professor S$89,530 – S$131,642
ys Says:
June 24th, 2010 at 12:42 am
In general, Singapore’s universities’ faculty members are one of the best paid in the world, behind HK but on par with the top Uni in US.
sg: where did you get those figures?
sg Says:
June 24th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
It is from HR related personnel. In fact, they told me that is the latest scale.
Depends Says:
June 27th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
I think it also depends largely on the field/faculty of the professor.
For finance professors, naturally they will earn more, as they are benchmarked against their opportunity cost in the private sector.
But if for eg. you are a Geography or Social work professor, probably don’t earn as much. Just my guess.
ys Says:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:52 am
I assume the figures are for NUS and NTU? I heard that SMU pays much higher. Anyone has the figures for SMU? And what about the new 4th university?
Mikk Says:
July 23rd, 2010 at 3:01 pm
And are similar numbers available for the administrative side of universities in Singapore. What do managers, senior managers, associate directors make? In NUS, SMU?
Thanks if anyone knows and is able to share.
Dun think so Says:
July 24th, 2010 at 1:08 am
I think the administrative side of uni doesn’t pay well, at least for junior admin officers with degrees (less than 3k?)
Had a friend working there
Ken Says:
July 24th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
I tend to agree that the administration side of uni doesn’t pay well for the junior officers. Progression is slow. Someone posted on the forum that his peers in the civil service are doing better than him. I think civil service pays better than uni administration.
Ken Says:
July 24th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
I believe associate directors in SMU are fairly senior, looking at their hierarchy. It is a step below Director, which is the head of department. Associate directors in NUS, on the other hand, appear to be just above senior manager. They also have senior associate director, and deputy director above that.
dayna Says:
August 22nd, 2010 at 8:56 am
could u tell me what wud associate directors get paid at smu? in admin or support ….lets say a associate sirector -IT?
bcz Says:
August 25th, 2010 at 11:21 am
NTU finance professor basic salary, S$ one million a year
bcz Says:
August 25th, 2010 at 11:22 am
science salary, S$70,000 a year
dayna Says:
August 26th, 2010 at 8:34 am
i am more interested in the admin staff…..wud n e body know how much an associate director -IT wud earn?at SMU