Professors are responsible for providing high-value education and guidance in a specific stream to college students. It can be a good career being a professor, but it will take several years to meet the eligibility requirements for the same. However, you can still make it possible through fulfilling educational goals that fit with this career choice. In this article, we will figure out the details of an assistant professor, his job responsibilities, eligibility criteria, career opportunities, and more.
Contents
- 1 Who is an Assistant Professor?
- 2 How to Become an Assistant Professor With UGC?
- 3 How to Become an Assistant Professor Without UGC?
- 4 Assistant Professor Salary
- 5 Universities Accepting Assistant Professors
- 6 How to Apply for an Assistant Professor Position?
- 7 Skills Required to Become An Assistant Professor?
- 8 Job Responsibilities of an Assistant Professor
- 9 Academic Timeline of Assistant Professor
- 10 Average Salary of an Assistant Professor in India
- 11 Career Growth After Assistant Professor
- 12 FAQs
Who is an Assistant Professor?
An Assistant Professor is a faculty member at a college or a university. This position is offered to a junior or entry-level faculty role in the college. Assistant Professors are responsible for teaching, conducting research, and contributing to the academics.
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How to Become an Assistant Professor With UGC?
To become an Assistant Professor with a UGC Net degree, you mandatorily need to have a PhD degree. After that, you can visit the official website of the NTA and apply for a new registration there. Once you are done registering, you can then start preparing for your examination. Along with this, you also need to keep in mind that having a master’s degree with at least 55% marks and having teaching and research experience is also very important.
How to Become an Assistant Professor Without UGC?
To become an Assistant Professor, you need to have a valid PhD degree. The UGC allows you to choose whether you want to give the NET exam or not if you hold a PhD degree. Along with this, you also need to make sure that you meet other mandatory requirements, like possessing a master’s degree with at least 55% marks, and having teaching and research experience
Assistant Professor Salary
Once you become an assistant professor, your salary will depend on various factors like college city, qualification level, years of experience, and more. However, you do not need to worry, as you can checkthe salary package based on all the above factors below.
Assistant Professor Salary – College Wise
The private college may have a different pay structure compared to the government colleges. You can check the list of expected salaries at the various colleges below.
| Name of the College | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
| Amity University | 6.02 L |
| Lovely Professional University | 5.60 L |
| Chandigarh University | 5.18 L |
| Sharda University | 5.90 L |
| Jaipur National University | 4.20 L |
| Manipal University 404 | 7.90 L |
| Christ University | 8.90 L |
| Presidency University | 7.10 L |
| University of Delhi | 7.77 L |
| Parul University | 4.60 L |
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Assistant Professor Salary – Qualification Wise
The salary of an Assistant Professor depends on the qualifications you have. If you have a postgraduate degree, you might be paid less than those who have cleared NET and also have pursued a PhD in relevant subjects. You can check the expected list of salaries in the table below.
| Qualifications | Average Annual Salary |
| Post Graduation with UGC NET | 4.28 L |
| PhD | 5 L |
| PhD with UGC NET 408 | 6.38 L |
Assistant Professor Salary – Experience Wise
Experience is another important factor when we talk about higher salary packages. The more experience you have, the more you will be paid. You expect the following amount according to the number of years of experience.
| Experience | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
| 0 – 2 years | 1.5 L – 3.5 L |
| 2 – 5 years | 4 L- 6 L |
| 5 – 10 Years | 6 L – 8 L |
| 10 – 15 years | 8L – 12 L |
| 15 Years & above | 12 L and above |
Assistant Professor Salary – City Wise
The salary of an assistant professor varies from one city to another. Pay in the metro cities is obviously higher than that of those who live at the outskirts. You can check the expected list of salaries in the table.
| Name of the City | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
| Bangalore | 5.60 L |
| Mumbai | 4.80 L |
| Pune | 8.90 L |
| Chennai | 3.60 L |
| Hyderabad | 6.97 L |
| Gurugram | 6 L |
| New Delhi | 9.12 L |
| Kolkata | 6.84 L |
Assistant Professor Salary – Designation Wise
An assistant professor is the entry-level designation for the majority of students. However, as you gain higher qualifications and years of experience, you get a raise in your existing salary and designation. For more detailed information, you can check out the table.
| Designations | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
| Assistant Professor | 5.67 L |
| Associate Professor | 8.90 L |
| HOD | 12.24 L |
| Professor | 10.20 L |
| Senior Professor | 22.15 L |
Universities Accepting Assistant Professors
These are a few universities where you can apply for the position of Assistant Professor. You can even apply to more universities, according to their vacancy requirements. You can access the list below.
| S. No. | University Names |
| 1 | University of Calcutta |
| 2 | University of Allahabad |
| 3 | Jiwaji University |
| 4 | Mahatma Gandhi University |
| 5 | Jamia Millia Islamia |
| 6 | Assam University |
| 7 | University of Madras |
How to Apply for an Assistant Professor Position?
You can apply for the Assistant Professor position at multiple colleges and universities. Universities post the job vacancies on their respective websites. Also, on various apps, you can find the vacancy related to the Assistant Professor position.
Skills Required to Become An Assistant Professor?
The list of skills is quite long to become an assistant professor. You need to have lots of qualities to become a successful professor. However, out of those, below are the most important qualities that you need to have.
- Research Skills
- Analytical Skills
- Knowledge about Topics
- Counseling
- Training, etc.
Job Responsibilities of an Assistant Professor
An assistant professor has to execute a lot of responsibilities related to academics and research work. Here is a specific list of all the roles and responsibilities that an assistant professor has to perform.
- Design and implement innovative methods of teaching.
- Teach both undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing their own field of expertise.
- Prepare daily lessons and targets for the students.
- Mentor the students with their academic progress.
- Guide and mentor the research students in their projects.
- Assess, review and evaluate the progress and activities of the students.
- Assist or lend a helping hand to the superior professors in performing their duties and functions.
- Carry out the publishing of the university’s research works in journals and academic books.
- Develop professional logistics to help the students improve their performance.
- Support the functional activities of the department.
- Facilitating a learning environment that encourages the thirst for knowledge.
- Communicate productively with all the other departments, schools, and units inside the university and its external organisations.
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Academic Timeline of Assistant Professor
There are a lot of steps that you need to follow to become an assistant professor. It goes like having an undergraduate degree, a master’s degree, a clear competitive exam, a doctoral degree, and more. You can read in detail about these degrees.
Undergraduate Degree
The first step towards starting a flourishing career in research 408 and academics is that you need to complete a bachelor’s degree in any discipline with a good percentage or CGPA. Also, for screening candidates for the post of assistant professor, universities majorly prefer those with stronger academic performance.
Masters Degree
After you earn your bachelor’s degree, you can opt for the specialisation you want to pursue in your post-graduation. Generally, the field of specialisation closely relates to the majors of your bachelor’s degree. Be careful while choosing a specialization as this shall be a lifetime commitment for you. While pursuing a master’s degree, you must also start preparing for teaching exams like NET JRF 408 if you are planning to take up the job profile of Assistant Professor in India.
Clear a Competitive Exam
Once you get a master’s degree, you can now appear for the NET, SET, or CSIR NET competitive exams. The NET exam makes you eligible for assistant professor jobs in every college and university. On the other hand, SET will only give you the eligibility to become an assistant professor within the state. Apart from this, if you decide to prepare for the CSIR NET, you will be selected for a lecturer position.
Get a Doctoral Degree
Having a doctoral degree can allow you to directly apply for a college professor position. You can even skip competitive exams when you have a doctoral degree.
Average Salary of an Assistant Professor in India
The salary of an Assistant Professor in India is regulated mainly by the 7th Pay Commission for government colleges and universities.
| Entry-level salary | ₹57,700 per month |
| With allowances | ₹70,000–₹80,000 per month (approx.) |
Assistant Professors can be promoted to Associate Professors after gaining experience and fulfilling UGC criteria.
Promotions lead to higher pay scales and additional academic benefits. Overall, the salary of an Assistant Professor offers financial stability, steady growth, and long-term career security, making it an attractive option for students pursuing an academic career.
Career Growth After Assistant Professor
An academic career in colleges and universities offers clear promotion pathways, steady salary growth, and increasing academic responsibilities. After joining as an Assistant Professor, faculty members can move up the hierarchy based on experience, research output, and performance. Here are the academic positions and average salary in India:
| Positions | Level | Average Salary Per Month |
| Assistant Professor | Focus on teaching, research, and student mentoring | ₹57,700 – ₹80,000 per month |
| Associate Professor | Promotion after meeting UGC experience and research criteria | ₹1,30,000 – ₹1,50,000 per month |
| Professor | Senior academic position with extensive teaching and research responsibilities | ₹1,60,000 – ₹2,00,000+ per month |
| Head of Department (HOD) | Manages academic and administrative functions of a department | ₹1,80,000 – ₹2,20,000 per month |
| Dean / Academic Administrator | Senior leadership role in universities | ₹2,00,000 – ₹2,50,000+ per month |
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Becoming an Assistant Professor is an excellent career choice for students who love teaching and learning. With the right education, exam preparation, and dedication, you can secure a stable and respected position in colleges or universities.
FAQs
You need a good academic score, at least 55% marks at the master’s degree level.
You no longer need to be an assistant professor without Phd.
There are no specific years required to become an assistant professor.
No, but it is highly recommended for career growth and promotions.
Related Reads
This was all about How To Become An Assistant Professor in India. For more such informative blogs, check out our Teaching Exams Section, or you can learn more about us by visiting our Indian exams page.
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