How much do Indian Professors earn?
At Indian Universities, Assistant Professor earns Rs 57,700 per month while a Senior Professor earns Rs 182,200 per month. At the time of retirement, the maximum salary will be Rs 2,24,000 per month.
Do not tell your Professors that you know how much they earn? :)
There are 7 designated roles at Indian Universities in order of increasing position:
- Assistant Professor
- Assistant Professor (Senior)
- Assistant Professor (Selection grade)
- Associate Professor
- Professor
- Senior Professor
- Principal/ Director
Following is the minimum pay at every role:
| Role | Minimum monthly pay (in Rs) |
|---|---|
| Assistant Professor | 57,700 |
| Assistant Professor (Senior) | 68,900 |
| Assistant Professor (Selection grade) | 79,800 |
| Associate Professor | 1,31,400 |
| Professor | 1,44,200 |
| Senior Professor | 1,82,200 |
| Principal/ Director | 1,44,200 |
Fact: A Director can earn less than a Senior Professor.
The ratio of Assistant Professor :: Associate Professor :: Professor is 6 : 2 : 1 and Universities are bound to maintain this ratio.
Increment
At every role, a 3% increment is given once every year.
The increment either takes place on 1st January or 1st July based on employee cycle. The limitation is that everyone should get only 1 increment in a year.
So, if you are an Assistant Professor earning 57,700 and you have been at the same position of 10 years (happens sometimes), then your salary will be Rs 77,500.
Promotion
In case of promotion, the new salary is either the minimum salary at that post (given in our previous table) or an extra increment of 3% whichever is higher.
So, if an Assistant Professor (Senior) is earning Rs 70,000 and has been promoted, then there are two options for increment:
- 3% increment: Rs 72,100
- Minimum pay: Rs 79,800
Hence, the new pay on promotion will be Rs 72,100.
Maximum Salary
The maximum salary will be Rs 2,24,000 per month for a Senior Professor with 8 increments. This is a good salary but you must understand that a new Senior Professor has at least 25 years of experience and is entitled to 8 increments in career. This is in addition to the time spent in self education like PhD.
Hence, achieving the highest salary for an Indian Professor can put you close to 60 years but you can still, enjoy the high salary for years.
Work hours
Following is the minimum hours to work every week at every role:
| Role | Minimum hours every week |
|---|---|
| Assistant Professor | 16 |
| Associate Professor | 14 |
| Professor | 14 |
| Principal/ Director | 6 |
If the Professor is a Head of Department (HOD) or Dean, they get a relaxation of 2 hours. Minimum work hours consist of teaching scheduled classes and conducting laboratories.
Note: The job is much relaxed compared to a corporate work where employees need to work at least 40 hours per week as per contract but are often, made to work more.
Retirement
The age of retiment for all Professors at all roles is 65 years.
An additional 5 years is approved if the Professor is in good health, have published books and papers in the last 3 years and have a good feedback.
Hence, the maximum age for retirement of an Indian Professor is 70 years.
Other benefits
Other benefits provided to Indian Professors are:
- Full Health Coverage to the Professor and his/ her family
- New laptop, furniture, printer and Internet connection at Office
- Grant of Rs 75,000 per year for Conferences
- Extra income by taking up consultancy work given to University
- Paid Leave of 6 months (twice in a career) to work in Industry
- 3 extra increments if Assistant Professor completes PhD
Conclusion
The pay for an Indian Professor is standard and is in accordance to the expenses of living in a society. The pay may not be high compared to Corporate pay but the job of a Professor has relatively less stress and can enjoy better work life balance.
If you are good at your field and is an active Professor participating at different initiatives, then your extra income from Consultancy work is high.