<p>For most jobs, there is some easy-to-access source or database for job information, prospects, etc. Is there one for academia? Like what academic fields are the most sought after, what are the pay, and any other general statistics? Thanks.</p>
<p>*I asked in the “Graduate School” section because I figured most academia-seeking people wil be here rather than the jobs section.</p>
<p>You should look at the Chronicle of Higher Education for this information. Most academics will tell you to choose a field you love, because it is not a career choice to make for the income.</p>
<p>I don’t actually think it’s true that there’s an easy to access source or database for job information and prospects in most fields. Most fields have a variety of job databases/boards on which there are job postings. Average salary data is usually in another place, and prospects/an overview of the field is usually in still another.</p>
<p>So to answer your question, no, there’s no one-stop-shop for everything related to an academic career. There’s not even one for each field. Every field usually has a variety of job information boards.</p>
<p>For example, I am a social psychologist by training, so for us there is</p>
<p>APS: Usually has more research and academic positions ([Association</a> for Psychological Science: Employment Ads](<a href=“http://aps.psychologicalscience.org/jobs/aps_JobsSearchResult-new.cfm?all=yes&search=basic]Association”>http://aps.psychologicalscience.org/jobs/aps_JobsSearchResult-new.cfm?all=yes&search=basic))</p>
<p>APA: A mix of academic jobs, research jobs, and counseling/direct therapeutic care jobs
([American</a> Psychological Association (APA), PsycCareers|Find Your Career Here - Job Search](<a href=“http://jobs.psyccareers.com/jobs]American”>http://jobs.psyccareers.com/jobs))</p>
<p>Psych Jobs Wiki: Academic jobs in psychology from all subfields:
[Psychology</a> Job Wiki 2013-2014 - Psychology Academic Job Search](<a href=“http://psychjobsearch.wikidot.com/]Psychology”>http://psychjobsearch.wikidot.com/)</p>
<p>Savvy searchers also look elsewhere. For example, my PhD is interdisciplinary with public health, so I also look at APHA’s job ads. Smaller professional organizations also sometimes have job boards, like the Society for Behavioral Medicine.</p>
<p>Another way academics hear about jobs is through networks. I get sent jobs through my departmental listserv. My advisor sends me jobs when sees those that look salient. Sometimes you hear about opportunities at conferences or just talking to other colleagues. I’ve been in a lot of minority training programs, so sometimes my email is passed to someone who emails me when they are trying to increase minority participation/faculty.</p>
<p>But if you look at any of those job ads, you will notice that NONE of them have salaries posted. The APS website does have some articles and resources for job seekers. The AAUP does a survey of faculty salaries every few years:</p>
<p>[What</a> Professors Make - Almanac of Higher Education 2012 - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/article/faculty-salaries-data-2012/131431#id=144050]What”>http://chronicle.com/article/faculty-salaries-data-2012/131431#id=144050)</p>
<p>So you get an idea of the average salary at a large number of colleges and universities across the United States.</p>
<p>As for which academic fields are most sought-after, there’s no central location to find that information. That’s found through discussing with academics. I frequent the forums at the Chronicle of Higher Education, where that’s often a topic of discussion. Fields like nursing, accounting, business management and to a certain extent engineering have a shortage of professors, and so job prospects are pretty good in those fields. Fields like philosophy, English literature, and history have horrible job prospects; the majority of people who begin a PhD in those fields won’t find a tenure-track job when they finish (usually 8-10 years later).</p>
<p>Generally speaking, any field where there are more lucrative opportunities outside of academia for doctoral degree holders in that field tends to have a shortage of professors and therefore an easier job market. Conversely, any field where there aren’t many things you can do with the terminal degree in that field besides be a professor are going to be glutted and difficult to find an academic job for.</p>
<p>The last thing you said is interesting. I am curious because I love Political Science, Psychology, and Economics all equally well. I’m a PoliSci major now, but I considered switching to Psych because I see all these psych labs and psych research projects, which gives me the impression that their are more psychologists out there, and thus more psych positions.</p>