Achieving the salary increase you have been waiting for does not happen overnight in higher education. The truth is, most institutions have a specific method for evaluating their instructors’ performance to determine whether they receive a salary increase.
First, research data on higher education salaries for faculty, staff, and adjunct instructors for different colleges in the United States.
For Canadian higher education professionals, you can research and analyze post-secondary salary data from PayScale.
If you are not already in higher education, transitioning into a college instructor position will require dedicating time and effort to your job search.
Apply some of the useful strategies below to put yourself in a position to gain a wage increase.
Eight Methods Higher Education Professionals Can Get a Salary Increase
1. If you want to have a chance for a salary increase, try to make yourself an important part of the school team. Develop skills that can be a great asset to your department, such as learning to operate specialized software, furthering your professional development in your subject area, or developing teaching skills.
While this may not lead to an immediate salary increase, it can enhance your value as an instructor and open the door to opportunities not only for a future salary increase but also for a permanent promotion to a teaching job.
2. Look for training or certifications that can help improve your qualifications as a higher education instructor. For many education professionals, this is often the most practical option to make them eligible for salary increases.
3. Never give up looking for career opportunities to get an excellent job promotion either within your college or by completing training that allows you to handle more than one teaching responsibility. Always network and be on the alert when a position comes up. This means having your college adjunct CV and cover letter ready to go at a moment’s notice.
4. Work as hard as you can and make it a point always to please your administrator. If they see your determination, they might just come up with an ideal plan to promote you and give you a salary raise.
5. Be aware of how you perform your duties and job responsibilities as an instructor or professor. Become a reliable and dependable instructor, and these qualities will not take long before somebody up high in the faculty will notice your commitment. When you are indispensable to a school, you increase your value.
6. Always make it your point to become a productive teacher. Look for various ways that will allow you to enhance your students’ learning, improve your teaching techniques, and gain comprehensive knowledge of how the school’s mission and objectives.
Research new ways to help increase your students’ overall achievement and contribute to the school’s mission and goals, and how your personal skills can help that change.
7. In many higher education teaching positions, you have the opportunity to contribute to the department and the school by completing research and experiments in your field to enhance the school’s reputation and further the study of your area.
This is an excellent way to solidify your position as a valuable faculty member and demonstrate your value to the college or university.
8. Working overtime may be an excellent way to earn a salary increase. And while this may be a short-term increase in wages, it will help you gain more skills and project an image of someone who is dedicated and cares deeply about their work in higher education.
