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Job outlook for assistant professors of art in the United States
Are assistant professor of art jobs in demand?
Assistant professor of art job and salary trends over time
Assistant professor of art jobs over time
Assistant professor of art job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 310 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 298 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 308 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 309 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 311 | 0.00% |
Average assistant professor of art salary over time
Assistant professor of art salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $65,705 | $31.59 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | $65,554 | $31.52 | --0.6% |
| 2024 | $65,959 | $31.71 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $63,103 | $30.34 | --2.5% |
| 2022 | $64,724 | $31.12 | +5.1% |
Assistant professor of art jobs by state
Most common states for assistant professors of art
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 125 | 18% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 76 | 12% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 140 | 8% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 58 | 8% |
| 5 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 414 | 7% |
| 6 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,224 | 6% |
| 7 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 515 | 6% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 431 | 6% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 262 | 6% |
| 10 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 122 | 6% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 55 | 6% |
| 12 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 228 | 5% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 155 | 5% |
| 14 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 148 | 5% |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 50 | 5% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 547 | 4% |
| 17 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 371 | 4% |
| 18 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 230 | 4% |
| 19 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 210 | 4% |
| 20 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 38 | 4% |
Most common cities for assistant professors of art
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 7 | 1% | $66,265 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $88,148 |
| 3 | Norfolk | 1 | 0% | $60,116 |
| 4 | San Jose | 1 | 0% | $103,708 |
Assistant Professor Of Art job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of assistant professor of art experts
Tiffin University
North Carolina State University
College of the Marshall Islands
Skidmore College
Ashford University
University of South Florida
School of the Art Institute of Chicag
Eastern Illinois University
Meredith College
Skidmore College
College of Charleston
Columbus State University
University of Pittsburgh
Clemson University
Lafayette College
Washington University in St Louis
Franklin and Marshall College
AGWA - American Grant Writers' Association, Inc.
What general advice would you give to an Assistant Professor Of Art?
Alex Holte PhD: My advice for someone new to the field of academia is to learn time management skills early and learn what type of service work you find interesting and would like to contribute to. From there, learn how to say “no” to opportunities that may not align with your goals as well. I feel a lot of new professors tend to find the need to be involved in everything, which can result in burning out later in their career.
What Assistant Professor Of Art skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alex Holte PhD: I would say being able to work with AI may be something that is more important in the next 3-5 years. Right now it’s a new technology and people are just now learning how to integrate it in the workplace, but I feel it is possible the future workforce of tomorrow will necessitate some form of being able to use AI technology.
What will help Assistant Professors Of Art increase their earning potential?
Alex Holte PhD: When you are starting out at any career, it is important to negotiate your salary. Many candidates feel that they have to accept their first offer, but in reality, at many jobs, there is some room for negotiation. Be mindful however, to not request a salary that is much higher than what is being offered as they may feel like a compromise would not be possible and move on to the next candidate.
Dr. Stephanie Opfer
Associate Professor of English, Assistant Dean of the School of Creative and Media ArtsTiffin University
Visual And Performing Arts
What will help Assistant Professors Of Art increase their earning potential?
Dr. Stephanie Opfer: Unfortunately, teaching as an adjunct does not pay well. Students should keep their full-time jobs and teach part-time until they find a full-time job at a college or university. That part-time teaching provides them valuable experience and connections that make them more competitive candidates for full-time positions because they'd also be competing with candidates who have PhDs. So adjunct work is more of a long-term investment rather than an immediate return. Also, even full-time teaching jobs don't pay particularly well, so they'll really need to love teaching if they want to do it full-time. If they don't like teaching as an adjunct, they won't like doing it full-time.
What general advice would you give to an Assistant Professor Of Art?
Justin Whitehill Ph.D.: Perseverance pays off. Its worth it to pursue the career you want and not settle and be unhappy.
What will help Assistant Professors Of Art increase their earning potential?
Justin Whitehill Ph.D.: I wouldn’t know, I’m a professor.
Jane Kuandre
Associate ProfessorWhat Assistant Professor Of Art skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jane Kuandre: Some essential skills for success in academia include critical thinking, effective communication, time management, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
What will help Assistant Professors Of Art increase their earning potential?
Jane Kuandre: Networking is crucial for career advancement in academia as it allows individuals to establish collaborations, gain access to resources, and stay updated on the latest research trends.
What will help Assistant Professors Of Art increase their earning potential?
Alexander Velasquez: I think everyone should look into their career fields and find out what it is that makes you more valuable in that field. Are there any certifications that you can get? What is it that you need to know or learn that companies will find valuable? Much can be learned online, so pick up as many of those skills as you can, and make sure they're on your resume or CV. I believe all those things could maximize salary potential, especially when starting out.
Aurelie Matheron
Assistant Professor of FrenchSkidmore College
Romance Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
What Assistant Professor Of Art skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Aurelie Matheron: Leadership: you will be in positions of leading a program/department. Learn from current chairs by observing their own skills during meetings and moments of decision. Collaboration: develop interpersonal and interprofessional relationships that will allow you to build collaborative projects (interdepartmental courses, for instance).
What will help Assistant Professors Of Art increase their earning potential?
Aurelie Matheron: Do some research online about how much someone earns at your stage of the career. If there is a significant gap, point out (diplomatically) that, because of your extensive experience in XYZ, you would like to get a X% increase in your salary. Be reasonable: if you want a 3% increase, ask for 5% (not 10% or more). Justify your negotiation: why should they pay me more? What experience can I show them to justify my request? If you have a higher offer from another place, you can say that “I have received another generous offer and would like to know about the possibility for matching that offer.” Salary is not the only thing you can negotiate: office space, computer/laptop, sabbaticals, course release, etc. Again, be reasonable: if you think you are entitled to XYZ requests, you also have to show why.
Fabio Lanza
ProfessorAshford University
History
What general advice would you give to an Assistant Professor Of Art?
Fabio Lanza: I tell them not to expect that they can achieve the same, old-style academic career (like mine, for example). A tenure-track job in a research university to be clear. Those jobs exist but they are becoming rarer and rarer. I also tell them that if they forecast incurring in serious (or even non-serious) debt in order to get a PhD, they should not do it. They should not pursue that path at all. In the program, they should take all the chances they have to learn new skills, including skills that don't seem directly related to an academic career.
What will help Assistant Professors Of Art increase their earning potential?
Fabio Lanza: Difficult to say, given how quickly things change. Digital humanities was and still is fashionable and important. Public history (museum, exhibitions, outreach). And teaching.
What soft skills should all Assistant Professors Of Art possess?
Lee Braver: Soft skills are most important to working once one has gotten a job rather than important to getting a job since those are quite difficult to discern from applications and brief interviews. That is one of the reasons schools can be wary of hiring with tenure; a person could look great on paper but be a nightmare to work with, and you're stuck with them.
I believe that tenacity, organizational skills and time management, and the ability to work long hours are crucial to getting tenure and succeeding in academia more broadly, in some ways more important than raw intelligence (if such a notion is coherent). Failure and rejection are endemic to the job; anyone who gets discouraged easily will do so. One must persevere in the face of sometimes harsh criticism and hostile conditions (especially now that much of the country has turned against higher education and the humanities in particular), and one must be able to juggle multiple responsibilities that make considerable time demands. In this, the tenure track resembles other early-career positions, such as medical residency or working towards partnership in a law firm. The untenured often must do the scut work that no one else wants to do, made more difficult by the fact that they are frantically trying to learn on the job with little to no guidance. It is not at all unusual for early-career professors to teach 4 classes per semester, at least some of which are new and/or large, do all the grading for them, serve on multiple committees, and write for elusive publications, all at once.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Assistant Professors Of Art?
Lee Braver: Well, a Ph.D. is necessary, although one can sometimes be hired within striking distance of it. The ability to teach so as to bring students to the major and get high student evaluations are often requirements at teaching schools while writing well enough to publish, often in journals with single-digit acceptance rates, is crucial to research schools. Comfort with technology is becoming more and more important.
What skills will help Assistant Professors Of Art earn the most?
Lee Braver: Let's see-an M.B.A., the ability to pick winning lottery numbers, being repelled by the humanities so that one goes into business-those would be pretty useful for making money. No one should go into academia for the money, not just not for wealth but even for a comfortable living, which is becoming more difficult to achieve in America in general. It is nearly impossible to make a living as an adjunct professor, which is where the profession is heading. There are many good-paying jobs, but those tend to congregate at the elite schools, the ones that emphasize research the most, and these are the fewest and hardest to get. Worse-paying jobs are also hard to come by, and the competition is just getting stiffer as more Ph.D.'s get dumped into the market each year which is itself accreting all those who did not land jobs in the previous years. At many institutions, raises are minimal since jobs are so hard to come by, and there's little else that rewards a humanities Ph.D. The only way to get a substantial raise is to get a credible offer from another institution and hope that yours wants to keep you enough to overbid them; otherwise, you're stuck, especially after getting tenure, and they know it. That's why tenure is called "golden handcuffs," though I think a better name might be something like velvet handcuffs, given gold's connotation of wealth.
What skills stand out on Assistant Professor Of Art resumes?
Lee Braver: Colleges and universities fall into different categories which value different skills and accomplishments. The most obvious division is between schools that emphasize research and those that pride themselves on their teaching. Research institutions are looking for scholars who can publish a lot in exclusive journals and presses, thereby enhancing their reputation. They are looking for evidence of research skills: publications, awards, letters of recommendation that praise the candidate's writing and thinking. Teaching schools, on the other hand, are looking for excellent teachers. In the buyer's market we now have, they can require high research ability as well, but some will actually be scared off by too much research. They will worry that the candidate will focus on their research instead of their teaching and that they will seek to leave as soon as they can. These schools are typically looking for teaching experience, high student evaluations, and letters that single out these qualities for praise, whereas research schools typically don't care a lot about these sorts of things. Thus, the qualities one type of institution values, the other can be apathetic towards or even avoid. Teaching schools far outnumber research schools, so there are far more jobs in the former than in the latter.
Andrew Falkowski
Graduate Coordinator and Associate ChaiSchool of the Art Institute of Chicag
Department of Painting and Drawing
What hard/technical skills are most important for Assistant Professors Of Art?
Andrew Falkowski: Again, skill is a nebulous term, and there isn't one set of skills that apply to all courses, with perhaps the exceptions of being well organized and being a clear and consistent communicator.
Samantha Osborne
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Owner, Samantha Osborne DesignEastern Illinois University
Art + Design
What skills will help Assistant Professors Of Art earn the most?
Samantha Osborne: An ability to effectively communicate, navigate creative resources, network, empathize with others, and come up with innovative creative solutions. That said, your work still needs to be stellar and consistently great if you're going to be a big earner.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Assistant Professor Of Art job market given the pandemic?
Holly Fischer: Marketing and using social media to connect virtually. This is especially true for studio majors
that are working as artists and/or working in galleries and museums.
What Assistant Professor Of Art skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Holly Fischer: Depending on the career goals, it is always recommended to work with professionals to learn
more about a certain area of the artworld. This could be working in a museum, gallery, and/or for
a professional, working artist as an intern or assistant.
What type of skills will young Assistant Professors Of Art need?
Tillman W. Nechtman Ph.D.: When it comes to skills young graduates need, I will speak specifically to the field of History. It's always been the case that History Majors do well in the job market. Now, to be sure, there is the temptation to limit the scope of what jobs we imagine a historian can do. Career Service Offices sometimes think that History Majors teach, work in libraries, and archives, maybe a museum, and that is about it. The fact is that it's not uncommon to find CEO at Fortune 500 companies who were History Majors as undergraduates.
Presidents. Media personalities. Lawyers. Judges. You name it. History Majors are everywhere, and I think I know the reason. History Majors learn to take lots of data - and we're omnivorous about what we call data - and we synthesize it. We give it two frames. First, we weave it into a narrative form, a story, if you will. Second, we give that narrative analytical meaning. We offer a thesis or an argument about the content we're sharing. Those are vital skills. The ability to walk people through data and to help them understand your analysis of that material. What field wouldn't appreciate that set of capabilities? And, I think that explains why History Majors tend to do so well in a host of fields and professions. I don't foresee that that will change in the future.
What experience really stands out on Assistant Professor Of Art resumes?
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice: The experience that most stands out on resumés, to my mind, is definitely internships or anything where the applicant has had to show initiative and exercise independent thought.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Assistant Professors Of Art to find work opportunities?
Rachel Blackburn Ph.D.: Where to find opportunities: This is a bit of a loaded question because the most obvious place to become involved in theatre in the U.S. is New York City. However, that said, there are numerous reasons to go to other theatre markets, including outside of the U.S. So many local markets need practitioners to continue live performance in their city. I'd like to see theatre-makers move to the less obvious places that might desperately need community healing right now, such as Detroit or Flint, MI, Minneapolis, MN, St. Louis, MO, Phoenix, AZ, etc.
Those are places where communities have seen some rough patches, and I'd like to see how theatre might innovate by bringing people together to heal those communities. Otherwise, Seattle, Atlanta, LA, Houston, and some others are places that might surprise our graduates with the size and history of their theatre markets. For the intrepid explorer who is open to a little adventure, go abroad!
Your student loans will be deferred while you're out of the country, and if you have no spouse or kids, leap, it's a perfect time. London, Toronto, Dublin, Montreal, Paris, Edinburgh, Sydney - go to Auckland and see how you can support the theatre of the indigenous Maori peoples in New Zealand; why not? Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities, take the reins and enjoy this moment as a time when you can make the world your oyster, if you want. Sniff out places that have something to teach you besides just employing you.
What experience really stands out on Assistant Professor Of Art resumes?
Scott Andrew: In my experience as a multimedia artist, educator, and event organizer/curator, it is good to have the following items on your CV: Education (ideally from top-rated programs with relevant mentors), Exhibition, Screening, and Performance history (notional and international), teaching and curation experience, the listing of guest lectures, presentations, mentorships, fellowships, residencies and awards, additional professional experience and internships, as well as a bibliography of publications and press.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Assistant Professors Of Art?
Scott Andrew: I am not a job placement specialist by any means, and it isn't a secret that the job market in the arts (both in academia and for practicing artists) was already overly competitive and with a low level of support and opportunity, specifically within American culture. These problems are only embellished by a global pandemic and a serious economic crisis due to a lack of political leadership in our country. I speculate that these issues won't be going away any time soon, and students need to understand that, in order to have a more successful life outside of the institution, they will need to diversify their income streams, potentially participate in the gig economy, and commissioned or part-time labor from multiple sources, as well as apply for grants, residencies, and other institutional support in order to support their artistic careers.
Bo Clements
Lecturer of American Sign LanguageClemson University
Department of Languages
What experience really stands out on Assistant Professor Of Art resumes?
Bo Clements: 1) teaching ASL included four parts: Educational background, Teaching background, Professional Development evidenced with hours, and Deaf Community Service. 2)Degrees (Must have MA or higher). 3) ASLPI score of 4 or higher, SLPI: ASL rating of Advanced Plus or higher or other proficiency interviews approved in the future. 4) List of courses you took to teach ASL - ASL Literature, ASL Linguistics, Deaf Culture/Deaf Community, Teaching Methods (ASL or Foreign Language), Assessment Tools, and Curriculum Development or Language Acquisition. Hold certification of American Sign Language Teachers Association, Inc. Also, show your expertise in using technology, such as the ZOOM platform, plus know how to edit a video, etc.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Assistant Professors Of Art?
Bo Clements: Pandemic during life after Graduation is very obviously tricky. Look at the unemployment rates. Millions of job positions are in a freeze. No jobs out there. A positive note that a student has a degree in American Sign Language with specialization in Interpretation Education & Training, Wireless Technology, or Development & Innovative of Social Media allows working from home to create thousands of online jobs - Teaching, Marketing, Engineering, Spectrum of Technology, and many more.
We cannot remove our masks, making it so difficult to communicate, as it's hard to read people's lips. That is the number 1 communication barrier for all of us. We cannot be close or touch each other in a public place, even at work, to communicate in person. That makes it so difficult to find jobs.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Assistant Professors Of Art, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Karina Skvirsky: Art careers are not known to pay well, but they produce enough and can be very satisfying for the mind and the soul.
What type of skills will young Assistant Professors Of Art need?
Catherine Dunkin: A public relations career offers challenge, variety, and a unique chance to combine strategy and creativity to accomplish business objectives. Some critical competencies include:
Communication Skills:
- Writing
- Speaking and oral presentations
- Research
- Traditional and social media
- Active listening
- Relationship-building
- Speaking and oral presentations
Business Acumen:
- Critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making
- Time management and ability to prioritize/meet deadlines
- Adaptability
- Data gathering and analysis
- Strategic planning
- Awareness of the global impact
- Entrepreneurial and consulting approaches
Creativity and Design Skills:
- Graphic design and data visualization
- Ability to produce useful materials from documents to presentations to online blogs, newsletters, websites, etc.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Assistant Professors Of Art to find work opportunities?
Catherine Dunkin: Graduates who can combine healthy critical thinking and communication skills should find positions available nearly anywhere they would like to live and work. They will find growth areas in healthcare, management consulting, technology, and operations/supply chain.
Graduates have an opportunity to think carefully about and pursue rewarding careers in line with their personal goals, values, and geographical preferences. They may consider entrepreneurial start-ups, local nonprofits with compelling community missions, or larger management consulting firms and corporations offering global clients and projects exposure.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Assistant Professors Of Art, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Graduates in Religious Studies don't necessarily go into careers in religion. The standard career path for those involved is going to graduate school, spending several years getting a Ph.D., and facing a tough job market. Starting salaries can vary widely depending on the college or university.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Assistant Professor Of Art job market given the pandemic?
John Porter Ph.D.: This will depend on what happens in the next six months or so. If the economy stays open and business can operate as it did a year ago, the trend will be more positive. When the economy is working, people are more financially secure. They have money to donate to foundations, and corporations have more profits to put into their funding resources.
If the economic shutdown increases where both businesses and individuals earn less money, there will be less money available for grant funding. The majority of grant funding comes from donations by everyday individuals.
If the economic shutdown is prolonged, then there will be an increase in government grant programs. The government gets its financial resources for things like grants by taxation. So individual taxes will likely increase.
Another line to balance is the excessive taxation of the rich. Nearly all very wealthy people have established a foundation where they give some of their wealth to grant awards to community non-profit organizations. When the government increases the taxes on this group, the excess money goes to the government to spend rather than local non-profits.