Professors salary in the UK

21 October 2022

In pursuit of a career as a university professor, students invest years in studying and building their CVs. But is the effort worth it? To answer this question, it’s important to consider the salary scale for university professors, which varies depending on the country and level of the professorship. In the United Kingdom, the hierarchy of professorship comprises Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader, and Professor. Therefore, this post aims to provide an overview of the pay scale and salary of professors in the UK.

Assistant Professor’s Salary in the UK (Lecturer Salary in the UK)

Depending on their seniority and the university where they work, Lecturers or Assistant Professors in the UK typically earn between £42,000 and £55,000 per year. If the university is located in an expensive city such as London, the starting salary is likely to be higher; however, for most other cities, the starting salary is between £42,000 and £45,000. Please note that this is the salary before tax. In the UK, a fresh assistant professor may earn as much as £2,500 per month after deductions for income tax, national insurance, and pension. The take-home pay for senior lecturers or assistant professors, however, can reach up to £3,000 in that circumstance. It is pertinent to note that the university pension is an optional benefit. In the event that a Lecturer opts out of the university’s pension scheme, also known as USS, the take-home pay increases. A person in a lower salary range can take home £2,685 per month, and a person in a higher salary range can take home £3,225.

Associate Professor’s Salary in the UK (Senior Lecturer Salary in the UK)

Generally, the starting salary of an Associate Professor will be the highest of the Assistant Professors. Accordingly, the lowest-paid associate professor can earn £52,000 per year. Universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, and Imperial College can offer salaries as high as £65,000 for more senior Associate Professors. The amount of take-home pay appears to depend on the pension plan. After tax, an associate professor (also known as a senior lecturer or reader) may earn between £3,000 and £3,500 per month. There may, however, be a slight increase in take-home pay if the person does not contribute to the pension. An associate professor who opts out of the pension scheme can get £3,700 a month.

Professor Salaries in the UK

However, there is no upper limit on professor salaries in the United Kingdom. It generally begins at the level of Associate Professor (or Reader) but may reach very high levels without a defined limit. Therefore, the starting salary of a professor is approximately £63,000 (in most top universities in the United Kingdom) and can steadily increase without any upper limit. In some universities, highly qualified professors can earn more than £150,000 per year. However, this depends on a variety of factors and is not a common practice. An average University Professor earns between £63,000 and £90,000 per year. There can be quite a high take-home pay and net salary, ranging from £3,500 per month to £5,000 per month.

Academic Salaries in Europe

PhD and postdoc salaries are separately listed on the salary pages of Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, UK, Netherlands, Finland, France, Ireland, and Austria.

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