A report presented by the University Faculty Senate on Tuesday showed the median salary of Penn State professors for the 2003-04 academic year was $101,169 -- a number that is set to rise, Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said. The report showed a salary increase of 33.8 percent at University Park in 2003-04, which ranks Penn State's professor salaries the third highest in the Big Ten.

The report showed the median salary differed significantly by college. For example, the average salary of a professor in the Smeal College of Business is $140,530, while the average salary of a professor in the College of Arts and Architecture is $75,528.

"The variability in faculty salaries is likely due to several interactive factors including, but not limited to mean years in rank, college discipline and departmental norms, and merit-based salary increases," the report said.

Kendig said that although the amount of faculty salaries will not be determined until after Penn State's budget is finalized this summer, the amounts will most likely increase.

"Supplementing the salary pool in order to stay competitive has been one of our top priorities for years, so an increase is planned for next year," he said.

Ed Ketz, associate professor of accounting, said the salary gap is due to the supply and demand within each college. "When a college has a large demand for professors, they are more likely to pay more to hire them," he said. "It has nothing to do with the fact that one college is more powerful or better than another."

In addition, the report showed that professors' salaries at each of Penn State's Commonwealth Campuses are lower than at University Park. Each Commonwealth Campus averages $95.4 million in the total sum paid to professors. J. Randall Woolridge, a member of the faculty benefits committee, said this was because Penn State's Commonwealth Campuses are not competing against the same schools as University Park.

"At University Park, our two main competitions are Ohio State and Michigan State, which are two very big and very powerful schools," he said. "The Commonwealth Campuses generally compete against schools in a smaller market, so they do not need to pay as much to stay competitive."

Kendig said it is important for Penn State to stay competitive nationally, not only among Big Ten schools.

"We try to recruit the best possible faculty from all over the country," he said. "In order to do that, we need to make sure that our salaries are competitive with other institutions."

Woolridge said it is not uncommon for faculty members to receive offers from other colleges, or for Penn State to lure professors away from competing institutions.

He added that the State College area sometimes works as a disadvantage for professor recruitment. "There aren't very many other opportunities, especially in the business community."

"Being in State College doesn't help us when it comes to recruiting because it's not a major city, and it's not around any other major universities," he said.