A community college professor teaches students at community colleges and sometimes universities, providing them with both theoretical knowledge as well as assistance in the practical tasks. The job of a community college professor is usually more involved than that of a regular teacher, as the subjects taught in college are more complicated and demanding than those in elementary or high school. Typically, a college will have several different ranks for their professors, starting from instructors, and moving upwards to assistants and professors.
To become a professor at a community college, a Doctorate in the specific subject of studies is an absolute requirement. Even though some colleges are willing to hire candidates with only a Master’s degree, they usually expect those employees to finish their Doctorate in a certain amount of time in order to continue working and be eligible for promotion. As with any teaching position, good personal skills are required too, in order to be able to efficiently communicate with students and work out problems with them.
Community college professors can receive very high annual salaries (for the educational sector, at least). The median salary for 2009 was $76,000, and some of the more experienced and renowned professors receive salaries of up to $130,000. The salary is also directly affected by the subject being taught by the professor, though the effects are rather different from what most would expect, with arts professors being compensated better as a whole than those teaching science-related subjects. Experience plays a major part in determining the salary of a college professor.