Most full-time academics in UK now earning more than £50,000

Most full-time academics in the UK are paid more than £50,000 for the first time, according to new figures, although the University and College Union warned this would be “little comfort” to tens of thousands of researchers on insecure contracts.

Research from Advance HE shows that 44.3 per cent of academic staff earned over £50,000 in 2022-23 – up from 37.1 per cent the year before. A majority (52.9 per cent) of full-time academics earned above £50,000, up from 44.6 per cent in 2021-22, says the report, which draws on Higher Education Statistics Agency data.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, told Times Higher Education that academics deserve to be well paid but have suffered real-terms pay cuts for over a decade, with earnings being further degraded by inflation.

“A minor absolute increase in average salaries will provide little comfort in that context, not least when tens of thousands of academics remain on Deliveroo-style contracts,” she said.

“Such figures disproportionately exclude both women and those precarious staff. University employers must focus their resources on guaranteeing fair pay and job security for all staff.”

With the pay scale for lecturers at pre-92 universities currently ranging from £48,000 to £57,000, a significant percentage of lecturers will move above the £50,000 mark every year, said Jefferson Frank, professor of economics at Royal Holloway, University of London.

He said almost all pre-92 lecturers will earn above this threshold after a year or two in post – but highlighted a bigger problem in the sector.

“The growing problem at UK universities is in the growing disparity of salaries across both academic and professional services staff,” he said.

“A large proportion of academics are in casualised, typically part-time or part-year, posts, and are suffering from really low incomes, often pieced together by teaching classes at several universities.”

About one in 20 (4.6 per cent) academics made less than £30,000, while 0.2 per cent were on the lowest point of the pay spine, earning less than £21,197 in 2022-23.

“As a sector facing both financial and educational challenges, the imbalances need to be addressed,” said Professor Frank.

“While the inflation adjustment to fees can be welcomed, any significant additional funding needs to address the inefficiencies within the sector.”

The Advance HE report also revealed that women in academia saw a large shift in pay and narrowed the pay gap slightly.

The proportion earning over £50,000 rose from 31.6 per cent to 39.3 per cent in one year, while 13.5 per cent were in the top pay bracket (£65,578).

Almost half of men in academia (49.2 per cent) receive a salary above £50,000, and almost a quarter (22.9 per cent) are in the top pay spine range.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com