Item saved to your backpack!

Accounting professors provide students attending colleges or accounting schools with the skills they need to succeed in the industry. They teach collegiate-level accounting courses in various specialties, such as public accounting, taxation and auditing. Some accounting professors are full-time faculty, while others are working, certified professionals who tend to teach evening or weekend courses. They are often required to have advanced degrees and contribute regularly to professional publications, especially in the absence of extensive professional experience.

Accounting professor salaries: by the numbers

Teaching accounting at the postsecondary level can be a financially rewarding career, though salaries tend to vary by institution and location. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the median business professor, which including accounting professors, salary in 2009 was $73,320, but other sources indicate they can earn much more.

According to Salary.com, the median accounting professor salary in May, 2011 was $107,087, with the middle 50 percent earning between $81,925 and $170,863 and the top 10 percent in excess of $228,924. Meanwhile, GlassDoor.com, which collects salary data from various employers, lists positions with earnings ranging from $34,741 for a smaller college to between $195,000 and $210,000 for a position at a more prestigious university. Fully tenured accounting professors tend to earn more than associate or assistant professors.

Where you teach can also impact your salary. According to the BLS, these states boasted the highest median business professor, including accounting professor, salary in 2009:

• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• Arizona
• Texas
• New York

Because cost of living for a particular region will ultimately impact your disposable income, it's important to consider this along with baseline salary. The following metro areas were among the highest paying in the nation relative to cost of living, according to 2009 wage data provided by the BLS and 2009 cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research:

• Lubbock, Texas: $153,180
• Austin-Round Rock, Texas: $136,790
• Durham, North Carolina: $168,850
• Ann Arbor, Michigan: $138,560

Perhaps the most important factor influencing your earnings potential, however, is your degree.

How to become an accounting professor

According to the Journal of Accountancy, accounting professors are typically either academically qualified (AQ) or professionally qualified (PQ). Most full-time accounting professors are AQ, meaning they hold advanced degrees, typically a PhD, from accredited accounting schools. PQ professors may have lower degrees, also from accredited accounting schools, but notable professional experience and certifications.

For accounting grads working in the field who would like to become professors, pursuing accounting training online could be a way to bolster your education and résumé while maintaining your full-time job. Most accounting schools, online or otherwise, offer flexible course scheduling, including evenings and weekends.

Career outlook for accounting professors

The BLS reports that professors of all types are in high demand; positions are expected to grow by 15 percent overall in the decade preceding 2018. According to a 2009 article by the Journal of Accountancy, demand for accounting professors may be even higher as 500 to 700 accounting professors are expected to retire each year through 2019. Those who specialize in auditing and taxation will be in particularly high demand, as will PhD holders. Finally, as more students pursue accounting training online, demand for accounting professors who can teach online courses is increasing.