is being a PROFESSOR a good job?

Question

ok i will be completing college soon. i want to do my masters and go on to do my phd and work in a nice univerisity. i think its very satisfying, and something that i will be good at. as far as growth goes i think it all depends on the individual whether i am writing articles etc.. what do you think? bcoz all my friends are rushing off to do mba and get a job with a fat paycheck. not wanting that makes me unambitious? a professor can lead a comfortable life right?
help!

Answer 1

In the US, a full professor's position at a college is a very good job. The pay is excellent, the benefits are usually superb and the working conditions are terrific. However, getting to the full professor level is difficult and time consuming.

With a PhD, you will qualify for either an adjunct professor or assistant professor job. Adjunct jobs are basically part time, and they pay poorly and have few benefits. An assistant professor's position is usually full time with full benefits. It is a tenure-track position, meaning that you will eventually qualify for tenure and be set with a job for life. However, pay is usually modest unless you have a specialty that is in high demand. such as architecture, engineering, accounting or business. Of course, if your education is in one of those specialties, you will proabably be sorely tempted to work in industry for MUCH higher pay than an assistant professor makes.

To answer your question, yes, a professor can live a comfortable life. But climbing the academic ladder from assistant professor to associate professor to professor takes many years and a sack full of academic politics. Not everyone can do it.