Exploring the Pay Disparity Between Nursing Faculty and Clinical Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Nursing education programs across the US continue to face ongoing shortages of nursing faculty. PURPOSE: This study examined salary differences between nursing faculty and other nurses using 2022 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses data and identified specific factors contributing to these disparities. METHODS: Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to compare unadjusted salary differences and demographic and professional characteristics between nursing faculty and other nurses. An ordinary least squares regression model examined the association between nursing job titles and annual salaries. RESULTS: The average unadjusted annual salary of nursing faculty was $8677 lower than all other nurses ($81 617 vs $90 435). The adjusted annual salary of nursing faculty was $18 346 less than staff nurses, $19 863 less than charge nurses, and $27 526 less than front-line managers. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent salary disparities between nursing faculty and other nursing roles may discourage nurses from pursuing academic careers.