Michigan

Today's nursing schools are faced with an acute shortage of nursing faculty due largely to job competition and better salaries offered in the clinical sector. Even though nursing educators and faculty are known to sometimes earn less than staff nurses, those who enjoy teaching and mentoring choose to go into the education field.

The 2011 results of a recent study designed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing reveal that nursing teachers prepared at the master's level and working as associate professors earned an annual average salary of $78,155. How does this compare to the salary of nurses with comparative training and education employed in the clinical field? The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners reported that the annual earnings of a registered nurse with a master's degree, such as a nurse practitioner, is approximately $89,500.

Studies also point out that nursing faculty with master's degrees earn about $15,000 less annually than those with a PhD or doctoral degree in nursing. Salary considerations are not the biggest motivator for everyone, but many experts believe that competitive pay in the academia sector may lessen the shortage of nursing faculty.