community college programming instructors careers

E

eon

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Oct 11, 2003
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this has been one career option I always had. I kinda like teaching others and the amount of vacation time you can receive sounds very appealing. I heard you can work a few years, earn your tenure and be set in a secure job and then I get alot of conflicting accounts on how well they are paid.
anyone have any solid insight on how its like to be a post secondary programming instructor?
thanks
 
I noticed a community college CS programming instructor post on seattle.craigslist.org a week or so ago.

The position required a Bachelor's, preferred a Master's or PhD and some education credentials/experience.

Pay was $39,500 per year + benefits. I believe it was Shoreline CC.

I'm not sure if this is representative of community college professor CS salaries, but if it is, you'll need to be in it for the love of education, not for the money.
 
I don't think CCs give tenure - that's generally reserved for 4 year colleges and universities. As far as the pay goes, it's a government job. The bennies and job security will be great but the pay will be on the low end of the scale (especially considering that you generally need an MS to teach). As far as work environment goes, education/academia provide a much nicer atmosphere than business.
 
ya I dont mind making a bit less with something I enjoy more but $40K is ridiculous for a MS in CS
thats less than I make as an entry level fresh out of college developer
I guess the trick is to try to teach at 2 colleges
 
You will typically be paid way less in academia vs. industry. Even at typical 4 year colleges and universities, entry level professors (juniors) will be paid around mid-30s - 40s starting out, and with some exceptions, most hold a doctorate or equal. With more years of experience, you can start making a lot more, but you can start out in industry and make significantly more on average. However, teaching does give you way more freedom and does allow you to pursue your own interests.

Tenure is also difficult to get, though this may depend on the school, and it is mostly a system in research schools. It involves being on the tenure track, and there are professor/instructor positions in schools that don't lead to tenure. You have to publish a lot, or perhaps generate lots of revenue for the school in terms of research grants, have a good history of teaching, etc., so it could take many years, if it ever happens.
 
Last edited:
BillLeeLee said:
You will typically be paid way less in academia vs. industry. Even at typical 4 year colleges and universities, entry level professors (juniors) will be paid around mid-30s - 40s starting out, and with some exceptions, most hold a doctorate or equal. With more years of experience, you can start making a lot more, but you can start out in industry and make significantly more on average. However, teaching does give you way more freedom and does allow you to pursue your own interests.

Tenure is also difficult to get, though this may depend on the school, and it is mostly a system in research schools. It involves being on the tenure track, and there are professor/instructor positions in schools that don't lead to tenure. You have to publish a lot, or perhaps generate lots of revenue for the school in terms of research grants, have a good history of teaching, etc., so it could take many years, if it ever happens.
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I disagree that this also applies to universities and 4-year schools or that lower salaries are typical with all jobs in academia.

For example, please consider these salaries from UW in 2009: http://lbloom.net/uw09.html There are many professors making $200k+ per year. I didn't cross-reference their department, but I'm sure there are CS professors with salaries in this range.
 
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