Everybody's considering becoming a professor. What's your research portfolio look like? How much grant money can you raise?

Demand for those jobs is extreme. Meanwhile the ranks of tenured professors are shrinking as colleges make more use of contract teaching staff.

I think instructor is where I want to be. I'm focused on instructional excellence, and I think research and grant writing would get in the way of that. My dream job is actually working for a community college with a pure focus on teaching and learning, but the pay there doesn't justify that decision financially, sadly.

Anyone who is a full-time instructor at a university has a strongly considered becoming a professor, but weren’t able to get that job for whatever reason.

And even if you were a professor, if you’re not bringing big money you’re not earning a great salary either. Go look on Transparent California and see how much tenured faculty at a CSU are making.