Impact of Research on Economics Professors’ Compensation

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study the observable effects research quantity and quality have on the salary compensation a professor receives. This paper aims to assess which bibliometric variable best measures research, and how that research is rewarded through salary received. Other determinants of salary, as well as institutional conditions, will be analysed so that the structure of salary can be determined. The subject of study is tenured and tenure-track economics professors in Ontario for 2015. The results indicate that for the top professors, quality of research was rewarded. For most professors, research made modest contributions to salary, with the best measure of research incorporating both quantity and quality of publications. Years of experience was the largest determinant of salary. Whether a university was unionized or not had an impact on salary, while the research intensity of the institution was not significant.iii