Salary Information for an Online Professor

For several years, schools have reported an increase in online classroom attendance across the country. The majority of public schools offer distance learning programs and classes to students in nearly every field of study. Schools employ dedicated distance learning faculty, as well as existing tenured professors with the responsibility of keeping up with the demand for online education, often with significant rewards.

What is the Salary of an Online Professor?

According to a 2010 report by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 90% of all public 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities offer distance learning degree programs and stand-alone courses (nces.ed.gov). In light of the increasing interest and demand by students for convenient education, many colleges and universities provide incentives to faculty for online and hybrid course development. Additionally, new administrative positions have been established to coordinate the creation and promotion of online classes and distance learning, as well as provide technical support to faculty and students.
Compensation for online teaching and course development fluctuates dramatically based on the type of school, experience level of a teacher and whether a course is offered fully or partially online. In 2010, colleges advertised rates of $500-$1250 for instructors to reformat or convert a traditional class to an online or hybrid format. In the same year, other schools paid up to $5,000 for online course development and awarded academic credits that could carry compensatory or advancement rewards.
A survey conducted by the National Education Association (NEA) in June 2000 revealed compensation levels for distance learning faculty were close to the mid-range of on-campus faculty, with 20% earning under $40,000 annually and 20% securing salaries over $70,000 per year (www.nea.org).

Traditional Versus Online Professors

Most distance learning professors also teach traditional on-campus classes. The majority of these consist of full-time, tenured teachers who hold a master's degree and typically offer an online course each semester. While nearly all fields of study are represented through online courses, the majority of distance learning teachers are employed by community college districts.

Course Reduction and Overload Compensation

Many professors stated in the NEA survey that they feared online courses would affect their overall salaries negatively. They also reported that more time was required for online course preparation and delivery; however, there were a number of postsecondary instructors who provided online teaching and did not see a reduction in course schedules. Some schools provided up to three times the overload compensation, typically consisting of credits in excess of 15 per semester.

Copyright and Royalty Agreements

Universities that adopt online courses developed by faculty generally allow the course creator to retain royalties for courses that are distributed to other teaching institutions. However, some schools claim or share the rights to royalties for marketable courses developed with school resources or by the request of the school. In the latter case, the creator of the online course typically maintains the right to solicit the sale of and distribute the content while under the employ of the school, forfeiting the privilege after terminating employment.