Law Professors'
Compensation Plunges

July 22, 2003

By the Associated Press

Although many workers' pay grows marginally from year to year, those in a handful of professions have seen some hefty increases and jarring drops in compensation, according to data collected by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Among the biggest gainers were physician's assistants, who saw their pay jump 23 percent from 2001 to last year, improving to $53,700.

Other professions experiencing sizable salary increases included agricultural engineers, whose salaries increased by $10,036; purchasing managers, with an $8,372 rise; archivists and curators, up $7,020; and authors, up $5,928.

The salary data were analyzed by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement and research firm.

On the other end of the paycheck, with the biggest annual decreases, were law instructors, with median salaries declining more than $16,000 a year; economists, down $5,148; public relations practitioners, down $3,328; and financial planners, off $2,236, according to the data.