News from the Nature Salary Survey, 2010
Nature recently released its 2010 study of self-reported contentment of researchers with their careers, and how it's affected by salary and other variables. Called "For Love and Money," it appeared in the June 24 issue of Nature.
The good news is, worldwide many scientists say they are satisfied with their working conditions and salaries. Denmark scored highest on overall satisfaction, with a mark of 0.777. The US received 0.628, close behind Canada and UK. Japan (0.458) had the lowest score reported in their table.
There is a salary differential between men and women overall, that increases in disparity as years in the field increase. In a break-out box, Gender Differences and Similarities are highlighted. Men's salaries were 18-40% higher than women's in all the countries where they had significant sample sizes. To me, the most disturbing aspect of these data is that the difference grows with more time in the field. However, it turns out that there is not an equivalent discrepancy between men and women in job satisfaction. 65% of both genders said they were satisfied or somewhat satisfied.
Are women less interested in money? Do they not care about equal pay for equal work? Or do you think they are not doing as high-level research or taking on as many supervisory roles as the males?
A. Women are not motivated by money all that much. Independence, benefits, and type of guidance are much more important to us.
B. Women care about money but aren't motivated by competition to always be comparing salaries.
C. Women just don't know what they are missing or they wouldn't be so satisfied. It's really unfair.
D. Women don't really deserve more than they are getting, or they would be dissatisfied.
Dear Hoping,
I think you should consider practicing saying something about the things you're proudest of, when administrators are around. It will feel unnatural if you practice in front of a mirror, but believe me, it makes it easier to do when the situation really arises. I can tell you as the person who used to set faculty salaries at my institution, verbal input trumps the reams of written reports. They all seem to mush together in the mind. I used to take detailed notes but still! Give it a try, you might be very pleased with the results.
cheers,
Laura
Here's hoping if I send in my required summary of accomplishments each year, I will be rewarded for stuff I did. I just don't feel up to going upstairs and asking for a raise. It makes me break out in hives.
Having made the commute from Pasadena to Thousand Oaks for a year Laura, I have to say you married a VERY nice man!
I like that phrase, "Please sir, may I have some more?" No doubt I should have said that. The one thing I wanted to negotiate, not having to move to Claremont, was the item they stated was non-negotiable. They said if the Pres was gone, I had to be available on campus in a crisis, not over in Altadena. My poor husband thus had to take on a 1.5 hour drive each way to work in Calabasas from Claremont. Sadly, as time went on and the 210 was connected to the Las Vegas road, the time for each direction crept up to almost 3 hours by the time he quit working there. Think about an 8 hour day with 3 hours of driving on each end...awful!
cheers,
Laura
That's excellent news Laura that you were treated fairly:) I went to so many workshops (and organized quite a few) during my postdoc time about how to negotiate and to always assume you were getting a raw deal, that I ask even when I think it's not reasonable. All they can is say no after all. And I'm already perceived as a "no-nonsense" "blunt" individual so no one is really surprised when I ask "Please sir may I have some more?!" Now I just look at it as cheating my baby of opportunities if I don't ask for more money.
Very interesting, Helen. So, when push came to shove, you had to take on those uncomfortable requests for raises and asking around to see if salaries were comparable. I never did that, even when I was moving for 5 years into the academic VP position, I trusted that they were offering a salary that was comparable to people with that position elsewhere, as they said they were. I later came to find out that they indeed did offer me a salary very similar to those of other academic VPs. But I didn't negotiate, which I suspect any male candidate would have done.
cheers,
Laura
C. Women don't ask and don't tell about salaries, that's why they are often shocked they are making less. But I agree, women often care less about money, unless they are the breadwinner as I am. When that happened, I became suddenly as focused as a guy on my salary. It's actually quite stressful and uncomfortable, I don't know how guys deal so well with it!
women are very good arguers and advocates, just not for themselves
C. Maybe it's because we aren't so competitive, but we don't usually know. At two places I've worked, the faculty committee on financial matters has surveyed and found that rank-adjusted salaries are lower for women faculty and women (and men) were shocked.
I pick b. I've never had a single woman suggest we compare salaries, but about once a year, I get that suggestion from a guy. Money isn't the same kind of marker to us as it is to the men.
