龍應台在《大江大海一九四九》裏提到馬英九的母親秦厚修當年在荔園當收門票的，月薪三百港元，與此同時，錢穆開創新亞書院，給自己的月薪只是二百元！這當然不是說當時大學教員的薪金都很低，錢穆辦學的資金有限，給自己這麼低的薪金，應該只是為了省錢好作其他用途而已。
在一九四九年的香港，一個大學教授的薪金當然絕不會低過在荔園當收門票的；荔園已不在了，但大學教授的薪酬依然比很多工作都高，相信（根據通貨膨脹調整後計算）是高於一九四九年的二三百元。
大學教授的薪酬算不算高（甚至太高），見仁見智，我認為香港的水平合理，英美的則太低。為何有香港和英美的分別？這主要是因為跟其他工作一樣，教授的薪酬取決於人力供求的情況。香港的大學有一段長時間要吸引外國的博士學者來當教授，而願意來的過江龍不多，自然不得不提供較高的薪酬了（新加坡亦如是）。
在美國，教授的薪酬也明顯由人力的供求決定。一個教席有幾百人應徵的學科，教授的薪酬一定會偏低；例如一位商學院或法學院的助理教授拿的薪金，一般來說便會高過一位哲學系或歷史系的正教授。
這樣合理嗎？很難說。你可以說大學的目的是教育，不是在做生意，應該尊重學問，不應因為一個學科的博士供應過剩便壓低該科教授的薪酬；另一方面，你也可以說雖然大學不是做生意，但也應該善於利用資源，如果某些職位出較低的薪酬也有很多人樂於接受，校方何不順勢省錢？
學問難以用金錢來衡量，然而，做學問的也要吃飯，也不能完全不顧薪酬的高低，奈何！
就我所知，就是比起經濟水準相當的像臺灣和日本，香港大學教師工資也是高的。
回覆刪除我想說的是，不談英美，就拿亞洲的日本來比較，香港大學的教師的“學術業績”是否對得起他們的工資？
就人文學裏著述水準來說，似乎連大陸也不一定比得上……
CYC,
回覆刪除日本跟香港和新加坡不同，從不曾大量聘請海外的教授。
Wong，
回覆刪除這正是問題所在。和日本學術瑣國相比，香港多年來大量高薪招聘海外教授，到底造就了什麼學術傳統？
CYC,
回覆刪除答案是「沒有」。然而，中文大學以往以本地教授為主，也不見得做就了甚麼學術傳統。
I asked my colleagues in hk... he said the 'high salary' thingy only applies to those who joined when the faculty salary scale was still referencing the civil servant salary scale...
回覆刪除New comers are not getting paid as much although now the universities have highly flexibility to give high paid if they want for very talented researchers.
RandomCoil,
回覆刪除Even that, as far as I know, faculty salaries in HK are still much higher than those in the US or the UK.
Really? I thought the salary for US professors is only for 9-month work?
回覆刪除If they can get enough research funding, they would be able to receive the summer months (3 months) salary out of the funding... (I am not sure if there are differences between research universities and colleges focused on teaching)
If we compare those who manage to receive 12-month pay with the hk profs, probably the before tax salary is not as big a difference as we first perceived?
RandomCoil,
回覆刪除Yes, most US professors have a 9-month contract and can work in the summer for extra money, but I guess professors in HK can do the same too. Talking about a 9-month contract is a bit misleading, for the salary is paid in 12 months. So we can simply compare yearly salaries. Besides, on top of their salaries, professors in HK have housing allowances.
While the professors in the US might get paid for summer month, Hong Kong professors paids are always 12 months. They don't get more paid even if they are awarded with big research funding.
回覆刪除Housing allowances are history mostly. Universities in HK have been cutting back on that since a long while ago. New comers have no housing allowance at all.
I do believe the before tax income for HK professors would probably be higher but not by much... The thing is considered the housing cost in hk, maybe they deserve to get a bit higher paid?
In the U.S., it is not uncommon to have a starting salary at $40K on a 9-month contract for tenure-track assistant professors in the humanities and social sciences. Summer teaching is not a guarantee, and very few professors can get a grant that would cover the salary for them to do their research.
回覆刪除But those who manage to get a tenure-track job is supposed to count their blessings and suffer from survivor's guilt. At least we are not the freeway flyers adjuncting at three different colleges to patch enough a poverty-level income without health benefits.
For people who finally get tenured, they can apply for sabbatical to take time off from teaching to focus on their research and live with with a pay cut.
With the student loans they have accumulated through the years, it's very hard for the humanities and social science faculty to survive on that income, if they are single or they don't have a spouse in a high-paying profession. To save money, a lot of the faculty at my university pack their lunches instead of eating at the cafeteria (can't afford paying $5-6 for a crappy lunch). It's sad also to see what cars some of us drive.
I know what you mean 匿名. My lab (when I was a student) used to face the parking lot... however, I think it is not just due to income level, but also academics tend care less about 'flashy' things.
回覆刪除OTOH, I am in science and engineering and those of my friends who are still in the States do well and have no problem supporting themselves for extra summer month paid. I think in the States, there are great heterogeneity in terms of professor's paid...
Whether we are in the US, UK, HK, Singapore, etc, in a sense we all know what we are getting ourselves into before we start. We are not going to have a luxurious life. At this point in life, most of my college friends are making twice or even three times my salary... Yet, I think I am the happiest.
Randomcoil,
回覆刪除//Housing allowances are history mostly.//
I am not sure that's true. Anyway, for an assistant professor position in the humanities, the starting salary is around $50K in the US, but it is around $70K in HK. It's a big difference.
Don't take me wrong, I am not complaining. However, I do think salaries for professors here are a little too low.
匿名,
回覆刪除What you described might sound unbelievable to some, but it's true. I am doing all right because I didn't have student loan and my wife works, but some of my colleagues are really living on quite a tight budget. It's sad.
//Housing allowances are history mostly.//
回覆刪除Not really in my university.
An additional piece of information: profs can get extra money when they teach self-financed programmes - as you may know, currently all taught postgraduate programmes in HK are self-financed.
Wong,
回覆刪除我就覺得，哲學教授人工合理否，是很難判斷的。畢竟大學的人力市場不是自由市場。
即使有自由市場的人力交換，也不見得一定合理；君不見在香港多少清潔工十多蚊一個鐘。
我有一個猜想，教哲學的教授人工是這樣，可能是因為不同學院(醫學院、商學院)間的教授人工不能相差大遠。
yan,
回覆刪除//我有一個猜想，教哲學的教授人工是這樣，可能是因為不同學院(醫學院、商學院)間的教授人工不能相差大遠。//
我不是已說過不同學院的教授薪酬可以相差很遠嗎？
Wong,
回覆刪除但不會"太"遠吧。什麼是太遠？例如比文員的人工請人教哲學。
yan,
回覆刪除相差一倍或以上算不算相差很遠？
Wong,
回覆刪除那真的算很遠。
just some info about new assistant prof salary (per month)in hk:
回覆刪除a. basic: $4xxxx/month (mid 40k's)
b. housing: $1xxxx/month (lower 10k's) (however, there is some self contribution scheme in place, so actually one only gets half.)
c. extra from teaching self-financing program:
-polyu n hkust: $2xxxx/$8xxxx (that is per semester)(some programs in hkust pays more)
-the rest: none
d. across departments: same pay scale for basic salary (including business school)
So if you are teaching MBA (self-financing program) in hkust, you can make a lot. Otherwise...
RandomCoil,
回覆刪除HK$4xxxx per month is about US$70k.
Thanks for clarifying...
回覆刪除What you said reminded me of the salary difference across departments in the US.
2.5 years ago, my friend got an tenure track offer from a private university and his basic salary was >US$65k (+summer salary if he can find the funding). My other friend who started 2 years ago in a state school (your system) was offered US$60k (+summer salary)...
So these people, who are in science and engineering, actually would earn more before tax salary than their hk counterparts if they manage to get paid in the summer. Thus US is offering very competitive package on top of its research resources to attract talents in science and engineering.
I guess this is what you would like to highlight one of our older posts... why people in humanities got paid less.
RandomCoil,
回覆刪除I think people in the humanities are paid less because there are too many of them and because there are not many options for them besides teaching.
"但不會"太"遠吧。什麼是太遠？例如比文員的人工請人教哲學。"
回覆刪除I work at a unionized university in the US - both faculty and classified staff are unionized. The monthly salary of an Assistant Professor of Philosophy is around $3100 (9-month contract), and the monthly salary of a secretary with some years of experience can be around $2900 (12-month contract). Both have health benefits. The staff enjoy a great deal of job security as they are unionized. Staff work only 9-5, but assistant professors in philosophy work their butts off teaching and writing.
Anonymous,
回覆刪除Thanks for your information.