An analysis was done of compensation and salary data for faculty in Illinois public universities, public community colleges, and nonpublic universities. Administrative salaries in public universities were also surveyed. Academic staff compensation was considered from two perspectives. First, the rate of increase in salaries over time was compared to the rate of inflation to determine whether the purchasing power of salaries of academic staff had remained constant, decreased, or increased. Relevant to this issue is the question of how public employees compare with other professional employees in their ability to keep pace with inflation. The second perspective examines compensation of Illinois academic staff in comparison to that of faculty of similar institutions in other states. Major questions here include (1) whether compensation in Illinois is competitive with compensation in similar institutions in other states, and (2) whether compensation in Illinois institutions has gained or lost ground over time when compared to compensation elsewhere. Findings indicate, among others: (1) the academic profession has experienced substantial loss of purchasing power across the nation, and (2) over the past 10 years, public and nonpublic university compensation has deteriorated in comparison to that in other states, while community college compensation is above the average. Statistical tables are appended. (Author/PJM)