accounting professor salary with phd

AACSB International. Salary Survey Reports: Executive Summaries . AACSB.*

Summary by James R. Martin, Ph.D., CMA Professor Emeritus, University of South Florida Advice for Ph.D. Students and New Faculty | Education Issues Main Page

Note : Part I of this summary includes mean faculty salaries from the 2012-2013, 2015-2016, 2017-2018, 2019-2020, and 2020-2021 reports for accounting faculty. Part II includes 2019-2020 median and mean faculty salaries for 18 business disciplines.

Part I: Mean Accounting faculty salaries for various years.

Part II: The following tables include 2019-2020 median and mean faculty salaries for 18 Business Disciplines. If covers 33,440 full time faculty from 455 schools: 21 from Asia Pacific, 38 from Europe and the Middle East, 30 from Canada, 8 from Latin America and the Caribean, and 417 from the United States.

* The 2020-2021 salaries are from the AACSB Business School Data Guide . Prior years are from the Executive Summaries . See AACSB International for the full reports. global-salary-survey-report

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Salary Related Summaries :

Martin, J. R. 2021. IMA Salary Calculators 2010-2020. Management And Accounting Web .

Schiffel, L., K. A. Smith and D. L. Schroeder. 2011. IMA 2010 salary survey: How's that recovery workin' for you? Strategic Finance (June): 26-46. ( Summary ).

Articles related to the Accounting Doctoral Shortage and Opportunities to Teach Accounting

AACSB International. 2003. Sustaining Scholarship in Business Schools . AACSB.

Albrecht, W. S. and R. J. Sack. 2000. Accounting Education: Charting the Course through a Perilous Future . Accounting education Series (16): American Accounting Association.

Behn, B. K., G. A. Carnes, G. W. Krull Jr., K. D. Stocks and P. M. J. Reckers. 2008. Accounting Doctoral Education - 2007 A Report of the Joint AAA/APLG/FSA Doctoral Education Committee. Issues in Accounting Education (August): 357-367.

Bergner, J. 2009. Pursuing a Ph.D. in accounting: Walking in with your eyes open: Here's how the doctoral track looks through the eyes of one student. Journal of Accountancy web-exclusive article. (Mentioned in the March issue as an AICPA resource on page 40). ( JOA Link ).

Beyer, B., D. Herrmann, G. K. Meek and E. T. Rapley. 2010. What it means to be an accounting professor: A concise career guide for doctoral students in accounting. Issues in Accounting Education (May): 227-244. ( Summary ).

Bishop, C. C., D. M. Boyle, B. W. Carpenter and D. R. Hermanson. 2016. Transitioning into academia: A new pathway for practitioners. Journal of Accountancy (March): 48-53. ( JOA Link ).

Bishop, C. C., D. M. Boyle, R. R. Clune and D. R. Hermanson. 2012. A different model for doctoral education in accounting and auditing: Student and faculty reflections. Current Issues in Auditing 6(1): A1-A16. ( Note ).

Bonner, P. 2010. New pathways to accounting excellence. Journal of Accountancy (October): 56-60. (Interview with Pathways Commission Chair Bruce Behn related to charting a national higher education strategy for the next generation of accountants).

Bonner, P. 2012. Bolstering the future of accounting education. Journal of Accountancy (October): 38-39.

Boyle, D., D. Hermanson and M. Mensah. 2011. Addressing the accounting and auditing faculty shortage: Practitioners' perceptions of academia. Current Issues in Auditing 5(1): A70-A85.

Boyle, D. M., B. W. Carpenter, D. R. Hermanson and M. O. Mensah. 2013. The accounting doctorate shortage: Opportunities for practitioners. Strategic Finance (May): 30-36. ( Note ).

Campbell, T. L., J. R. Hasselback, R. H. Hermanson and D. H. Turner. 1990. Retirement demand and the market for accounting doctorates. Issues in Accounting Education (Fall): 209-221.

Gary, R. F., C. A. Denison and M. L. Bouillon. 2011. Can obtaining an accounting Ph.D. provide a positive financial return? Issues in Accounting Education (February): 23-38. ( Summary ).

Grasso, L. 2008. The accounting Ph.D. shortage: Crisis or opportunity? Cost Management (March/April): 15-25. ( Note ).

Hunt, S. C., T. V. Eaton and A. Reinstein. 2009. Accounting faculty job search in a seller's market. Issues in Accounting Education (May): 157-185.

Kachelmeier, S. J., S. Madeo, D. Plumlee, J. H. Pratt, G. Krull and G. Thornton. 2005. Report of the AAA/AAPLG Ad Hoc Committee to assess the Supply and Demand for Accounting Ph.D.s . A joint project of the American Accounting Association and the Accounting Programs Leadership Group. ( Note ).

Leslie, D. W. 2008. Accounting Faculty in U.S. Colleges and Universities: Status and Trends, 1993-2004. A Report of the American Accounting Association. American Accounting Association. ( Note ).

Martin, J. R. Not dated. The accounting doctoral shortage and opportunities to teach accounting. Management And Accounting Web . Accounting Doctoral Shortage

McNair, C. J. and B. Richards. 2008. Unintended consequences: Death of the teacher-scholar. Cost Management (January/February): 21-28. ( Summary ).

Meyer, M. J. and P. L. Titard. 2000. Those who can ... teach. Want to exchange your Palm Pilot for a blackboard, get a PhD and go back to college as a teacher? The time to do it is now. Journal of Accountancy . (July): 49-58. ( Note ).

Meyers, R. 2006. Teaching for the love of it. Journal of Accountancy (June): 30-38.

Plumlee, R. D., S. J. Kachelmeier, S. A. Madeo, J. H. Pratt and G. Krull. 2006. Assessing the shortage of accounting faculty. Issues in Accounting Education (May): 113-125.

Prather-Kinsey, J., A. Savage, S. Boyar and J. Exline. 2018. A call to practitioners: You can play a bigger role in academia and share your experience with accounting students who are hungry for real-world knowledge. Strategic Finance (August): 54-59. ( Summary ).

Reigle, D. 2008. Trends in the Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits . AICPA.

Ruff, M., J. C. Thibodeau and J. C. Bedard. 2009. A profession's response to a looming shortage: Closing the gap in the supply of accounting faculty. Journal of Accountancy (March): 36-41. ( JOA Link ).

The Pathways Commission. 2012. The Pathways Commission on Higher Education: Charting a National Strategy for the Next Generation of Accountants . American Accounting Association and American Institute of CPAs. ( Note ).

Trapnell, J. E., N. Mero, J. R. Williams and G. W. Krull, Jr. 2009. The accounting doctoral shortage: Time for a new model. Issues in Accounting Education (November): 427-432. ( Note ).

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Life as a Professor

Almost everyone has been exposed to what professors do in the classroom--they teach. However, teaching is only one aspect of a professor's career. One of the attractive parts of being a professor is that, in addition to teaching, you get to do a lot of other enjoyable activities. The purpose of this page is to discuss the many different things professors do.

• 1 Life as a Professor - an Overview
• 2.1 What do Accounting Professors get Paid?
• 2.2 Work Load
• 3.1 Research
• 3.2 Teaching
• 3.3 Professional Service
• 3.4 Other Activities
• 4.1 Assistant Professor, aka Pre-Tenure
• 4.2 Associate Professor, aka Post-Tenure
• 4.3 Full Professor
• 5 Drawbacks to being a Professor

Life as a Professor - an Overview

An attractive aspect of being a college professor is that they get to do many different activities on a regular basis. During the year, a professor will teach classes, conduct research, attend accounting conferences, review others' research, mentor students, serve on university/college/department committees, and interact with professionals, regulators, and standard setters. The diversity of activities makes the job exciting and stimulating. It is easy to avoid getting stuck in a rut because you get to do many diverse things.

The exact mix of what you do depends on the institution where you work, the stage of your career, and your personal interests. An additional benefit of being a professor is flexibility. This occupation affords you flexibility not only in the types of activities you engage in, but also in how you perform each activity. Being a professor is unique in that you get to learn and investigate issues and topics that you find interesting. There is relatively no structure put on the topics you can research and learn about. For example, as a professor, you get to decide what types of questions you will research, what you teach (to some degree), and what service activities you perform (again, to some degree). If you are a person that likes learning, then being a professor can be very rewarding.

In addition to having diversity and flexibility, professors are constantly challenged. Each research project and each class taught is a different experience that will continue to test the professor's abilities. One can always improve their teaching and find new things to research, especially as the economy changes and evolves. How a person absorbs this new information depends on the unique characteristics of each individual learner.

What do you do as a Professor? - In Detail

The activities of a professor fall into three main categories: research, teaching, and service. Each is discussed in turn, followed by a summary of other activities in which a professor may participate.

What in the world do accounting professors research? If you are wondering this, don't worry, you are not alone. It is a common question asked by many accounting professors. Oler , Oler , and Skousen ( 2009 ) provide an academic definition of accounting research as "research into the effect of economic events on the process of summarizing, analyzing, verifying, and reporting standardized financial information, and...the effects of reported information on economic events." A less technical and more encompassing definition is that accounting researchers examine how accounting impacts/informs (and is impacted/informed by) business, economics, psychology, sociology, history, politics, technology, and just about all other academic disciplines.

While there are various branches of accounting research, the more popular in North America can generally be divided into several topical areas that are examined by four basic methodologies. The most common topical areas of accounting research in North America are accounting information systems, audit, financial accounting, managerial accounting, and tax. The four most common methodologies for examining these topical areas are analytical , archival , experimental , and other (e.g., survey, interviews, case studies, etc.) Generally speaking, the greatest number of accounting researchers examine financial accounting issues, and the majority of researchers use archival methodologies.

After people understand what accounting academics research, the question most commonly asked is whether or not it is boring (usually, but not always, said in a more polite manner). The answer: Of course not! While the technical definition may sound boring, the process of scientific discovery is interesting and exhilarating, especially applied to accounting. Most "lay" people erroneously believe accounting is cut, dry, and mechanical like introductory mathematics (i.e., bookkeeping) when in fact accounting is dynamic, full of uncertainty, and very meaningful in the lives of individuals, businesses, and countries. With this perspective, accounting research becomes an awesome adventure into how accounting can impact the welfare of our lifestyles. Like medicine, where each individual research study may not prove to cure cancer, each individual accounting study does not "cure cancer." However, the research from many scholars combine to inform decision makers to "see the big picture" and hopefully make better decisions. Engaging in this process can be very rewarding to the individual scholar.

In addition to "making a difference" to others, learning to research changes the researcher. Conducting high-quality, scientifically-based research is a demanding practice that instills discipline in the thinking process of the scientist. So in addition to having an impact on the world, engaging in research transforms the researcher to become a more careful, wiser thinker. Once schooled in this way, the researcher becomes a powerful decision maker capable of wielding tremendous influence.

Many people investigate the career path of a professor because of their desire to be a teacher. Teaching provides a wonderful way to impact lives and "make a difference in the world." There is tremendous satisfaction in helping another person understand a difficult concept or problem.

As a teacher of accounting, professors cover several diverse subject areas. Similar to research, these topical areas are usually accounting information systems, audit, financial, managerial, and tax. They also range in difficulty from introductory to advanced level courses. The amount a professor teaches varies greatly depending on the type of university at which they are employed. At most research intensive universities, a professor will likely teach a single class three times in a year. At a university or college focused on teaching, a professor can teach as many as 12 classes a year--with many different "preps" (a prep is a different class that a professor teaches). Obviously, at the schools where professors teach less they are expected to produce more research and vice versa. Professors should determine what mix of research and teaching they prefer and, where possible, select a school that aligns with their preferences.

Professional Service

In addition to teaching and research, professors are expected to give professional service. Service takes on many different forms including, but not limited to, reviewing peers' research papers for publication, attending conferences and discussing peer papers (or moderating sessions), editing journals, serving on department/college/university committees (which encompasses a broad range of activities like making promotion and tenure decisions, managing how the university will invest their money, etc.), serving on national committees, and serving in administrative roles (e.g., department chair, dean, etc.). Professional service can bring recognition to the individual and their institution. It can also be a way of making important contributions to improving the profession or academy overall.

Other Activities

Professors often participate in other activities that don't fit into the three previously mentioned categories. Other activities include consulting (i.e., professional training, CPE teaching, or project implementation), textbook writing (most institutions don't consider this research as it doesn't produce new knowledge), special projects while on sabbatical, and expert witnessing. Many of these activities can be lucrative for the professor and therefore may be governed by institutional rules regulating the extent to which a professor may participate. Participating in these types of activities can be viewed very differently depending on the institution where you are employed, so care should be taken when deciding whether to participate in these activities or not.

Phases of a Professor's Career Life

A professor's life can differ significantly depending on where they are in their career. Professors have three different phases that lead to different performance expectations. These phases are as follows: assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor. What each phase encompasses depends on the the type of school you attend. For purposes of this section, we will discuss life from a mid to top-tier research university.

Assistant Professor, aka Pre-Tenure

Upon graduating and taking the first job, a professor is usually assigned the rank of "assistant professor" which usually lasts for 5-7 years. When this time has elapsed, the professor submits a packet of information about their research, teaching, and service to the university. If viewed favorably, the professor is promoted to the rank of "associate professor" and is usually granted tenure. Being granted tenure means a professor cannot be dismissed without due cause--which is usually very difficult for a university to demonstrate.

Assistant professors are expected to focus primarily on research and teaching as they begin their career. To publish accounting research, it can take anywhere from 1-2 years (very fast) to 5+ years to publish any single paper (from idea to print). Given the long delay it takes to publish research, new assistant professors have significant pressure to begin lots of high quality work early in their career. Often times, new assistant professors are given easier teaching loads, extra research support, or other benefits to help them start producing research. Knowing how important it is to produce research, some begin to fill their research pipeline while as a doctoral student so they can hit the ground running once hired. To earn tenure, the common expectation is that an assistant professor will gain national recognition as a research scholar (for an idea of how many articles one must produce to achieve tenure, see here ).

While trying to produce lots of high quality research, new assistant professors are also expected to demonstrate competency in teaching (or even excellence depending on the university). New assistant professors are usually assigned to teach a course that does not demand lots of preparation or remodeling. They will usually teach "less demanding" students such as undergrads rather than MBA's. Although research productivity is usually considered more important, poor teaching evaluations can result in an unsuccessful tenure decision. If a professor starts off with poor teaching evaluations, they may find it hard to overcome the reputation of being a poor teacher--thus adding importance on becoming an effective teacher from day one.

Assistant professors are usually expected to provide a nominal amount of service. Typical service activities of assistant professors include reviewing papers for journals, attending some conferences, and fulfilling light department service requirements (e.g., scheduling other academics to present papers at the school). At research intensive schools, assistant professors are "protected" from heavier service burdens while they develop their research and teaching portfolios.

Associate Professor, aka Post-Tenure

Once promoted to associate professor, the work begins to expand. Associate professors are still expected to produce significant amounts of research (especially if they ever want to achieve full professor status) with the goal of becoming a recognized national/international expert in their research area. At this stage, the quality of research becomes more important (at least slightly) than the quantity of research produced. Associate professors will typically try to focus on developing more significant contributions in each research study.

With respect to teaching, associate professors are expected to contribute more than assistant professors. Associate professors may be asked to restructure courses, teach more demanding students, or teach new classes. Service requirements also increase for tenured associates, and this can present a dilemma. Solid service contributions can help with tenure at the associate's present school, but can reduce the professor's research productivity. This can have two related effects: (1) At the professor's current school, will the increase in service fully offset the decrease in publications? This depends on the current attitude of the school’s promotion and tenure committee, and it's a good idea to ask professors that have recently made full professor whether this is the case. (2) Professors who want to switch schools will likely find that their research output is valued far more than their service contributions, so devoting a lot of time to service can mean a decrease in potential mobility. At an extreme, a professor who is promoted to associate with tenure whose research output falls to near zero will likely have a difficult time finding a position at another school of the same caliber. If the political situation changes or some other critical event occurs at the school or with the professor such that they want to leave, they may find themselves trapped at their current school. In this case, the professor may be forced to take a significant pay cut and/or a significant increase in teaching load if they chose to move.

Each professor must determine their desired mix of service/research/teaching with the above considerations in mind. Another factor to consider is that once stalled, a research program can be difficult to re-start. Thus, a wise associate professor will carefully consider the following before taking on all service opportunities available: though these opportunities can be fulfilling (and sometimes even fun), they should be taken in moderation if one wants to continue producing research.

Being a tenured associate changes the pressures the professor faces; the professor no longer has the “publish or perish” monkey on his shoulder day and night. However, the associate also likely has more contacts and opportunities to co-author. Having a good set of research projects can be useful, especially if they are at various stages of development. It can be refreshing to go from one project at the theoretical development stage to another project at the number crunching stage, and finally to another project at the submission or resubmission stage. Further, when an individual project is not critical to a professor’s career, it is easier to deal with a co-author that may not pull their weight. The professor can merely do their agreed work, send off what they have to the co-author, and move on to the next project. Similarly, a poor review and editorial decision becomes merely a bump the road (or even a humorous event to be shared with colleagues), rather than a catastrophe. Gradually, an associate could transition from seeking publications for their own sake to seeking to help Ph.D. students get started and helping untenured assistants get traction on their own research programs.

Full Professor

Usually after 4 or 5 years as an associate professor, a professor will again submit a packet of information about their performance in research, teaching, and service to the university for possible advancement to full professor. To be advanced to full professor, an associate professor must demonstrate that they are excellent researchers, teachers, and have provided service to the accounting community. If successful, an associate professor is promoted to be a full professor.

Full professors are the "guardians" of their universities' reputation. They set the tone for the rest of the faculty in terms of the institution's values. They play heavy roles in hiring new faculty, promotion decisions of faculty, and other internal decisions. In terms of research, full professors often engage in more "risky" research; that is, research that has high payoff in terms of moving the discipline forward but may fail to result in a publication. Full professors seek to do meaningful projects that push thinking forward. In terms of teaching, full professors set the example for excellence and often develop new courses and teach the most challenging students/courses. In service, they are expected to be active and will regularly serve on committees at all levels of the university.

Drawbacks to being a Professor

While being a professor is a near-perfect profession, there are a few drawbacks to the trade. Almost all professors dislike the difficulty and tedium of grading. A far more challenging problem is that professors are evaluated almost entirely on production; meaning, if a professor does not get high teaching evaluations or does not produce research, the professor will lose their job. Academia is not a profession that rewards "just putting your time in" if that time does not produce results (at least for rookie professors). Thus, there is some risk in becoming a professor if one is not sure about their ability to produce (this risk is mitigated by the fact that there are many different institutions that each reward and look for something different, such that virtually all professors can find a place where they will be happy and successful).

Academia can also be filled with political pressures. For the most part, academics are very smart and, as often is the case for smart people, some have large egos and very strong opinions. Add to this potent mixture the near impossibility of firing a tenured professor, and the academy can be a prickly place of politics. While one does not have to participate in the politicking, it is wise to be aware of political pressures and realize that they exist and often must be dealt with.

Finally, while professors are compensated quite nicely (see sidebar), there is a ceiling on compensation. Multimillionaire professors, if they exist, are few and far between. Also, professors can get locked into salaries and have a hard time receiving pay raises unless they are willing to switch schools (see Salary Inversion article). Moving may also be the only solution to resolving tricky political problems. Thus, professors should recognize that they may not be at the same institution their entire careers.

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Transitioning into academia: A new pathway for practitioners

By making it easier for practitioners to obtain doctorates, nontraditional doctoral programs may help stem the accounting faculty shortage..

• Accounting Education
• Professional Development

The shortage of accounting faculty in the United States has been a serious concern for academicians, policymakers, and the profession for decades. One solution to the problem may be convincing more practitioners to become faculty members, and, indeed, a significant number of practitioners are interested in teaching. Though certain barriers, such as the time commitment required to earn a doctorate, have kept many practitioners from joining the ranks of the faculty, recent developments have opened new pathways for practicing accountants to enter academia. One of these is the development of flexible practitioner - oriented doctoral programs that enable practitioners to study part time while still earning a salary.

The faculty shortage and why practitioners may be the answer

In the 2013—14 school year, a record 207,071 undergraduates enrolled in accounting programs—over 73,000 more than enrolled in 2001—02. Across all programs, according to an annual supply - and - demand survey by the AICPA, enrollments have risen every year from 1999—2000 to the present (see 2015 Trends in the Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits . Yet enrollments in accounting Ph.D. programs have not increased much over the past six years, leading to a shortage of full - time faculty.

The accounting profession has taken steps to address the faculty shortage, among them launching the Accounting Doctoral Scholars (ADS) Program in 2008. Over 120 sponsors donated $17 million to this program, which was intended to incrementally increase the Ph.D. pipeline. To date, 108 current and future ADS Ph.D.s have made the transition from practice to academia. The AICPA Foundation will begin a new doctoral initiative in 2016.

The shortage persists, however, and it has forced close to two - thirds of all accounting departments to increase undergraduate class sizes in the past five years, a recent survey of 204 accounting program administrators found. According to the survey, which was conducted by accounting professors R. David Plumlee and Philip M.J. Reckers, 39% of small and 30% of large accredited schools have had to reduce the number of electives they offer. Plumlee and Reckers also found that more than 70% of administrators said their programs had been harmed by the faculty shortage. The problem was most severe among smaller accredited schools, where 96% of administrators reported that the shortage had been detrimental to their programs (see "Lessons Not Learned: Why Is There   Still   a Crisis - Level Shortage of Accounting Ph.D.s?" Accounting Horizons , June 2014, Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 313—330).

Many schools have coped with the shortage by hiring part - time or adjunct instructors, who do not generally need to hold doctorates, to teach classes. However, most accounting programs still need to hire a certain percentage of doctorally trained faculty to meet accreditation standards. Schools also benefit by hiring permanent faculty members as they enjoy enhanced reputations when their full - time faculty publish research.

One partial solution to the shortage may be improving pathways to academia for practitioners. Signs exist that significant numbers of practitioners have an interest in pursuing careers as educators. A survey of 231 practitioners conducted by Michael O. Mensah and three of the authors of this article, for example, revealed that more than 15% of respondents had a fairly high level of interest in full - time teaching (see "The Accounting Doctorate Shortage," available at imanet.org . In addition, more than 2,000 people recently signed up for an American Accounting Association (AAA) webcast on transitioning from practice to academia, suggesting that a good number of practitioners show an interest in academic careers.

In a recent survey conducted by three of the authors of this article, practitioners who became faculty reported high levels of satisfaction with their careers ( sciencedirect.com ). They can also earn attractive salaries. In 2013, the mean salary for new doctoral graduates in accounting was $151,100, while the mean salary for an assistant professor of accounting (the entry - level tenure - track position) was $135,800. Instructors— non - tenure - track faculty—made an average of $73,400 (see Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), 2013—2014 Salary Survey Reports . (Note, however, that these figures are averages and are based primarily on positions that require a traditional Ph.D. Salaries also vary widely depending on the type of institution where someone teaches; in general, they are higher at research - focused schools and lower at teaching - focused schools.)

One reason more practitioners don't go into teaching, though, is that the process of obtaining a doctorate can be daunting. Full-time, traditional doctoral programs typically require four to five years or more of intense study. Most programs require that doctoral students teach classes. Doctoral students receive stipends that typically range from $12,000 to $35,000 for nine months—far less money than someone would make as a practicing accountant. While it is certainly possible to teach without a doctorate, such teaching opportunities are largely limited to positions as either part-time adjunct faculty or non-tenure-track full-time faculty with far less job security, fewer career options, and significantly lower compensation than faculty with a doctorate.

Practitioners who are interested in teaching are often put off by the opportunity costs associated with traditional doctoral programs. They're often unwilling to relocate to attend school, especially if they have families, and many cannot afford to give up their jobs to make far less money for several years.

What to expect from a nontraditional program

Recently, however, there has been growth in accredited, nontraditional doctoral programs that offer more flexibility to meet the needs of experienced practitioners (see the table, "Traditional vs. Nontraditional Doctoral Programs"). Most of the approximately 15 nontraditional AACSB - accredited programs in the United States have been launched in the past seven to eight years. Based on our direct knowledge of the Kennesaw State University nontraditional accounting DBA program and our knowledge of other nontraditional programs, we estimate the average annual number of graduates from such programs soon may approach 20. As the average number of traditional accounting Ph.D. graduates for the past three years is 172 (see data table available at jrhasselback.com , this number would represent about 10% of the estimated total number of terminal accounting degree graduates. In addition, as the number of nontraditional programs grows, these programs can be expected to have a significant impact on the teaching shortage in the future.

These programs are designed to allow practitioners to pursue a doctorate while maintaining their employment and current income. Unlike traditional Ph.D. programs, which usually take four to five years or more of full - time study to complete, nontraditional programs typically take three to four years to complete and are designed for experienced professionals.

Some flexible programs focus on academic research and preparing graduates for academic careers, while others emphasize applied research and preparing students for further success in their business careers. Nontraditional programs vary in structure, but, typically, in the coursework stage of a nontraditional program, students often receive in - person , full - day instruction provided in about 10 two - to four - day residencies. They usually complete research papers rather than exams. Students spend 20 or more hours per week in between residencies preparing for courses by reading academic papers, mastering statistical methods, and conducting academic research.

At the nontraditional program at Kennesaw State, for example, the first year of the program includes coursework in statistical methods and theory. By the second year, students begin identifying, researching, and writing in particular areas of interest that will be further developed into a dissertation of 100 or more pages in the third year. Dissertations in this program have covered topics such as auditor decision - making , board of director decision - making and oversight, fraud whistleblowing, pressures on CFOs to misreport financial information, and the implementation of enterprise risk management programs, among others.

However, unlike traditional programs, where tuition is often waived if a student accepts teaching and/or research responsibilities, these programs charge premium tuition, with students often paying from $70,000 to $150,000 for the entire program. Student financial aid is possible in nontraditional programs, but it appears to be relatively rare compared to aid available for students in traditional doctoral programs.

One reality of attending a flexible doctoral program is that graduates of such programs are more likely to be employed by smaller, nondoctoral institutions, where the research expectations may be lighter, but the teaching loads may be higher and salaries lower. Results of a recent survey of faculty and university administrators suggest that support for attracting practitioners into academia and support for nontraditional doctoral programs are strongest from respondents working at smaller, nondoctoral schools (see "The Accounting Faculty Shortage: Causes and Contemporary Solutions," by Douglas M. Boyle, Brian W. Carpenter, and Dana R. Hermanson, Accounting Horizons , June 2015, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 245—264). Our personal experience indicates that graduates of nontraditional programs often secure tenure - track positions at AACSB - accredited regional universities, with some graduates moving into visiting or clinical positions at more research - focused schools. Likewise, a recent survey of graduates of nontraditional doctoral programs conducted by the Pathways Commission found that more than two - thirds of respondents were working as assistant or associate professors— full - time , tenure - track positions (see An Examination of Non-Traditional Doctoral Education , available at aaahq.org .

Road map for a successful transition from practice to academia

If you are a practitioner thinking about a career in academia, here is some advice, along with a list of some milestones you'll face along the way.

• The best way to more directly confirm your interest in an academic career is to actually teach. If you hold a master's degree and are a CPA, you can likely find many teaching opportunities as a part - time adjunct faculty member while you still maintain your current employment. Securing this experience is a low - risk way for you to determine if a move into academia is right for you.
• Ensure you have a basic understanding of academic career responsibilities and learn from those who have successfully made such a transition. To get a better idea of what being an accounting faculty member entails, read the articles listed in the resource box at the end of this article under "Other resources" and watch the AAA's webcast "Pathway to Academia for Accounting Professionals," available at pathway2academy.org .
• If you decide to make a full - time transition to academia, determine whether you want to pursue a non - tenure - track , professionally oriented teaching position or a tenure - track professor position. If you pursue a professionally oriented ( non - tenure - track ) position, you will likely not need to secure additional education credentials; rather, you will need to maintain your professional qualifications. While this route requires less educational investment, it also typically provides less job security and significantly lower compensation.
• If you decide to pursue a doctoral degree, you should consider whether a traditional Ph.D. program or a more flexible nontraditional doctoral program best fits your needs. You can review the characteristics of both types of programs in the table "Traditional vs. Nontraditional Doctoral Programs" and find more information about individual nontraditional programs through the universities' websites. Pay attention to the accreditation status of the schools you're considering, as many hiring institutions specify that faculty must have a doctorate from an AACSB - accredited institution. In addition, ask about the extent to which the program prepares students to conduct publishable research, what the research requirements are, where graduates publish their dissertation research, and whether the faculty work with students on research projects. If you are seeking an academic position, consider whether the school has an accounting specialty, and look for a program that requires a formal dissertation and significant instruction in statistics and research methods.
• Once you earn your doctoral degree, it is important to find an academic institution that fits your preferences concerning research, teaching, and service expectations. Not all institutions are the same, and in fact you will find each places different emphasis on these three key areas of focus based on its mission. Many practitioners are interested in practice - based research due to their extensive professional backgrounds. Support for practice - based research tends to be strongest at nondoctoral institutions. Teaching expectations for full - time , tenure - track professors at such schools generally include three courses per semester during the regular fall and spring terms, with potential optional teaching opportunities over the summer. Teaching loads are typically higher for those who do not hold a doctoral degree and are professionally oriented.
• Establish a mentoring relationship with someone in academia to help guide you through your journey. We believe that you will find such individuals are more than willing to help you make a successful transition to an exceptionally rewarding new career.

About the authors

Carol C. Bishop ( [email protected] ) is an assistant professor of accounting and director of the MBA program at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Ga., and a graduate of the practitioner DBA program at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga. Douglas M. Boyle ( [email protected] ) is an associate professor of accounting and chair of the accounting department at the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pa., and a graduate of the practitioner DBA program at Kennesaw State University. Brian W. Carpenter ( [email protected] ) is a professor of accounting at the University of Scranton. Dana R. Hermanson ( [email protected] ) is a professor of accounting who teaches in the undergraduate, graduate, and practitioner DBA programs at Kennesaw State University.

To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Courtney Vien, a JofA associate editor, at [email protected] or 919-402-4125.

AICPA RESOURCES

JofA articles

• “ From Practice to the Classroom ,” Oct. 2012, page 40
• “ A Profession’s Response to a Looming Shortage: Closing the Gap in the Supply of Accounting Faculty ,” March 2009, page 36
• “ Growing More (and Better) Accounting Ph.D.s: What Some Universities Are Doing ,” March 2009, page 38
• “ Pursuing a Ph.D. in Accounting: Walking With Your Eyes Open ,” March 1, 2009

AICPA article

“ A Ph.D. for Me? Really? ” June 16, 2015

Online tools

• Accounting Education Center
• Accounting Education Store
• Extra Credit newsletter

OTHER RESOURCES

• “What It Means to Be an Accounting Professor: A Concise Career Guide for Doctoral Students in Accounting,” by Brooke Beyer, Don Herrmann, Gary K. Meek, and Eric T. Rapley, Issues in Accounting Education 25 (2), pp. 227–244
• “ A Different Model for Doctoral Education in Accounting and Auditing: Student and Faculty Reflections ,” by Carol C. Bishop, Douglas M. Boyle, Richard R. Clune, and Dana R. Hermanson, Current Issues in Auditing 6 (1), pp. 1–16
• “What I Have Learned So Far: Observations on Managing an Academic Accounting Career,” by Dana R. Hermanson, Issues in Accounting Education 23 (1), pp. 53–66
• “Blazing a Different Path: A Career in Academia,” by Thomas G. Noland and Gregory L. Prescott, Strategic Finance (October 2013), pp. 35–41

American Accounting Association’s “ Pathway to Academia for Accounting Professionals ” 

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Accounting Professor salary

Average accounting professor salary, how much does an accounting professor make.

The average accounting professor salary in the United States is $84,237. Accounting professor salaries typically range between $48,000 and $145,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for accounting professors is $40.5 per hour. Accounting professor salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Accounting professors earn the highest average salary in California.

Where can an Accounting Professor earn more?

Accounting professor salary estimates from across the web, average accounting professor salary by state.

The highest-paying states for accounting professors are California, Maryland, and Alaska. The lowest average accounting professor salary states are Nebraska, Idaho, and Arizona.

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Highest paying states for accounting professors

Highest paying cities for accounting professors.

The highest-paying cities for accounting professors are Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY, and Dallas, TX.

Accounting Professor salary details

An accounting professor's salary ranges from $48,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $145,000 at the 90th percentile.

What is an accounting professor's salary?

Highest paying accounting professor jobs.

The highest paying types of accounting professors are professor, associate professor, and adjunct professor.

Top companies hiring accounting professors now:

• Murray State University Jobs (2)
• Loyola Marymount University Jobs (2)
• Kean University Jobs (3)
• Grant Thornton Jobs (2)
• PHD Jobs (3)

Which companies pay accounting professors the most?

Accounting professor salaries at Pace University and Murray State University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average accounting professor salary at companies like Loyola Marymount University and La Sierra University are highly competitive.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

Accounting professor salary trends.

The average accounting professor salary has risen by $12,673 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average accounting professor earned $71,564 annually, but today, they earn $84,237 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for accounting professors over the last decade.

Compare accounting professor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

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A Ph.D. for me? Really?

If you are a CPA with recent practical experience and a love for the profession, the academic accounting community is ready to embrace your talents.

Still don’t know what you want to be when you grow up? Based on the number of emails and phone calls I receive, you are not alone. Sure, you landed your first accounting job (or maybe your second or third), and your career opportunities look limitless, but the little voice in the back of your mind is telling you that there is something more out there. You may even be contemplating returning to school to pursue a career as an accounting faculty member. That idea isn’t crazy—in fact, it’s an excellent career move.

There’s a serious shortage of accounting faculty right now. Faculty retirements are on the uptick (the average age of a tenured accounting faculty member in the United States is 60), enrollment in accounting programs is increasing, and demand for accounting graduates is at an all-time high. Initiatives such as the Accounting Doctoral Scholars Program have been created to address the shortage, but the problem persists.

The reality is that if you are a CPA with recent practical experience and a love for the profession, the academic accounting community is eager to embrace your talents. These qualifications are the beginnings of a solid application to a doctoral program. With a few more additions (e.g., a strong GMAT score, meaningful recommendations, etc.), you could be golden. Now may be as good a time as ever to take a step back, rethink your future, and seize this opportunity.

Here are some things to consider in assessing whether to go back to school to earn a doctorate:

• A Ph.D. is a research degree. If teaching is the only side of the faculty equation that interests you, you may want to pursue a different avenue to the classroom. For instance, many universities seek lecturers and adjunct faculty to meet classroom demand. Seek an opportunity to meet with college and university accounting program administrators to investigate potential teaching opportunities.
• What disciplinary area of accounting interests you? Tax? Audit? Managerial accounting? Accounting information systems? Financial accounting? Since different programs have different areas of expertise, making this decision early will help you determine which programs to apply to.
• Doctoral programs usually take four to five years to complete. Can you commit this time?
• You won’t necessarily have to live on ramen noodles again. Many universities offer fellowships and assistantships to help offset the costs of a doctoral education.

Now is a great time to consider pursuing a Ph.D. in accounting. A career in academia may be right around the corner for you. Before you commit, take the time to explore this option to ensure it is the right path for you.

Still unsure? The toe almost in the water? Why not explore? Attend Steve Matzke’s session on all things Ph.D., including how to apply and what kinds of salaries accounting professors receive, on Aug. 7 at the  AICPA E.D.G.E. Conference  in San Antonio.

Steve Matzke  is the director–Faculty & University Initiatives at the AICPA. The Edge e-newsletter, is dedicated to providing tips and tools of interest to young professionals, including articles on building career resiliency, networking for success, and de-prioritizing the immediate to focus on the important. Watch for it in your inbox.  Subscribe now .

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University Assistant Professor - Accounting Salary in the United States

University assistant professor - accounting salary.

How much does an University Assistant Professor - Accounting make in the United States? The average University Assistant Professor - Accounting salary in the United States is $107,540 as of March 26, 2024, but the range typically falls between $83,020 and $161,270 . Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education , certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

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Roseman University of Health Sciences - Henderson, NV

Assistant Professor of Accounting

Lewis-Clark State College - Lewiston, ID

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The University Assistant Professor - Accounting develops and designs curriculum plans to foster student learning, stimulate class discussions, and ensures student engagement. Teaches courses in the discipline area of accounting. Being an University Assistant Professor - Accounting collaborates and supports colleagues regarding research interests and co-curricular activities. Provides tutoring and academic counseling to students, maintains classes related records, and assesses student coursework. In addition, University Assistant Professor - Accounting typically reports to a department head. Requires a PhD or terminal degree appropriate to the field. Has experience and is qualified to teach at undergraduate and graduate levels and contributes to research in a specialized field. (Copyright 2024 Salary.com)

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