Key Takeaways
- Becoming an English professor is a journey that requires multiple degrees.
- The salary of a professor English ranges depending on location, candidate, and institution.
- A variety of instructional and research skills are essential to becoming an effective English professor.
- It is important to gain teaching experience through professional activities like tutoring and acting as an teaching assistant.
Becoming an English professor is no easy feat, but those who are passionate about literature, critical theory, and higher education know how exciting and rewarding the career will be.
English professors teach students writing, literature, and English at the university or community college level. Additionally, they produce scholarly articles and books, speak at events or seminars, and may even take on leadership roles at the institution they work in. Despite some classes occurring on weekends and evenings, these professionals typically have flexible teaching schedules that enable them to continue research and writing.
But what does it take to become an English professor? Completing your training and education will require self-motivation and discipline, as doctorate programs always require of students. It also takes patience, determination, and a flexible mindset to succeed in the world of academia.
There is then creative reading as well as creative writing. When the mind is braced by labor and invention, the page of whatever book we read becomes luminous with manifold allusion.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Prospective English professors need to develop research and writing skillsets that are unique to the discipline. They typically need to criticize literature using complex perspectives, taking into account broader cultural and historical contexts. And that's just the beginning!
This article is all about becoming an English professor in Canada. Let's start by taking a closer look at what you can look forward to in terms of salary.
Salary Expectations for an English Professor in Canada
The salary of an English professor in Canada will vary significantly from one individual to the next, largely because compensation relies on a number of different factors, including:
- the university or college you are teaching at
- whether you sessional or tenured
- local cost of living
- the experience you bring to the job
An English professor's salary in Canada typically ranges from 80,000 CAD to 221,000 CAD. While the median salary stands tall at 151,720 CAD.
This salary range isn't fixed - it includes other benefits like insurance, and many professors that take leadership roles may receive additional stipends. In Canada, the salary of professors in teaching is generally based on skills, experience, and location. A professor teaching English in Saskatoon, for example, may earn slightly lower than another in Toronto.
However, many professors earn more than the average or median salary in Canada, especially if they have many years of experience in the field.
Many colleges and universities in Canada pay professors in the English department higher than average salaries if they have more than five years of experience. This is understandable as experience is usually the determining factor for English professors. Therefore, a professor with less than two years may earn an average salary of 91,000 CAD. However, a professor's salary usually doubles than starting salary once they have more than ten years of experience.
University Professor Wages By Province
Source: Government of Canada (2024)
| Province | Low $/hr | Median ($/hour) | High ($/hour) |
| Alberta | 28.85 | 57.69 | 95.19 |
| British Columbia | 30.58 | 55.13 | 86.54 |
| Manitoba | 21.63 | 47.60 | 67.31 |
| New Brunswick | 29.83 | 56.04 | 76.92 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 30.77 | 55.29 | 78.98 |
| Northwest Territories | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Nova Scotia | 20.83 | 47.01 | 76.92 |
| Nunavut | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Ontario | 30.36 | 60.44 | 98.78 |
| Prince Edward Island | 28.00 | 52.45 | 76.92 |
| Quebec | 25.96 | 57.69 | 84.25 |
| Saskatchewan | 23.00 | 53.22 | 84.94 |
| Yukon Territory | N/A | N/A | N/A |
How to Become a Professor in Canada
To be considered for English professor jobs in Canada, you must attain a graduate degree from a recognized and accredited university. A doctorate is one of Canada's most important criteria for becoming an English professor. It helps you to stand out as an authority and expert in your chosen field.
Keep in mind that the career path for English professors in Canada doesn't follow a strict formula. Therefore, there is no definite time it takes to you to attain the status of a professor. This is due to the experience you may need in your field and other factors such as publishing books and writing articles in your field.
A professor of English language in a college or university might take the following steps to achieve their career goals.
Earn a Bachelor's Degree in English
A bachelor's degree in English literature or a combination of areas combined with English is typically the starting point of becoming a professor. You will lay the groundwork for your future studies with courses in literary analysis, critical theory, and composition. This is a good time to gain work experience through tutoring, writing for school publications, or getting a part time job at school.
Earn a Master’s Degree
Some universities hire instructors with a Master of Arts (M.A.) in English or related fields, but most tenure-track positions require a Ph.D. Your M.A. will enable you to gain research experience, participate in smaller courses and seminars, and specialize in your preferred area (ex. Black Literature, Comparative literature, Renaissance Drama, etc.). You may also gain experience as a teaching assistant.
Obtain a Ph.D. in English
A Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is typically required for tenure-track positions, and will ensure your curriculum vitae is competitive. Ph.D. programs involve coursework, comprehensive exams, and a dissertation. Your dissertation must be defended in front of a group of advisors. Many Ph.D. candidates work as teaching assistants or adjunct instructors.
The time you spend in a doctorate program is also an opportunity to build your reputation by presenting at conferences, publishing work, and networking.
Apply for Tenure-Track or Lecturer Positions
With your doctorate degree in hand, you can start applying for adjunct, lecturer, or visiting professor positions. Tenure track positions are highly sought after and competitive. Tenure is a long-term contract that provides job security and academic freedom. You will need a strong teaching portfolio, research publications, and a solid professional network.
Work Toward Tenure and Promotion
Tenure-track professors must complete several years of teaching, research, and service to be considered for tenure. After tenure, you can pursue promotions to Associate Professor and eventually Full Professor based on your work and contributions to the college or university.
How Can I get Teaching Experience to Prepare for becoming English Professor in Canada?
Acquiring teaching experience will be instrumental to becoming an effective English professor in Canada. You can gain some experience quickly by tutoring on platforms like Superprof, assisting professors in the university, or becoming an English instructor in high school.
With experience in the field of teaching, you will easily understand and develop the right skills for instruction, mentoring, and helping students reach their academic goals. Students look up to English professors for help in the university. Field experience can help you bring an instructional skillset to the table and assist your students as they aim for diverse academic goals.
But that's not all that experience can help you do. For example, do you know that experience determines the salary of English professors in Canada?
If you have up to five years of teaching high school and undergraduate students in a specific field in the English language, you could earn higher than the average salary of $157,000CAD per year. English professors with an experience level of up to ten years may also earn an average of $219,000 CAD, while those with an experience level of fifteen to twenty years could earn as high as $258,000 CAD per year.
Another crucial factor that determines the salary of an English professor is their qualification. Do you know that a professor with a doctorate could earn twice as much as another with a master's in English?
Although becoming an English professor with just a master's degree is difficult, it's not impossible. However, to not settle for limited options in your career pursuits, it is best to gain enough experience and complete a doctorate program in your chosen field before applying for an English professor position in a college or university.
Skills Needed to be an English Professor in Canada
Aside from experience, skills are another crucial aspect you should consider if you are serious about pursuing a career as an English professor in Canada. You need many skills to demonstrate your level of competence for the position and also use as a ladder for higher career pursuits.
Clear and engaging communication skills for lecturing, discussion facilitation, and providing feedback to students.
How Many Years Will it Take to Become an English Professor?
The time it may take to become an English professor in Canada is primarily determined by the time it takes for you to acquire all the skills you may need before you apply for English professor jobs in Canada and how long it takes to get enough experience in your field.
On average, it may take eight years to become an English professor in Canada if you begin your bachelor's in English program immediately.
Aside from getting an education and experience, you also need to build your career and become an "authority" in your chosen field. This may require organizing seminars or get invited to speak at a conference, webinars, or seminar on a specific topic in your field.
In addition, you also need to publish books both online and in print to show your credibility and gain a reputation fast. The books you publish might be helpful when a potential employer or a university's management want to learn more about you, your achievement, and your contributions to the development of the English language.
No doubt, if you have some years of teaching experience and the needed qualifications alongside some published works in your field, you may have a higher chance of landing an English professor job in Canada sooner than you think.
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