[WS:] However, PhDs are not taught a skill that becomes a critical element of a successful academic career - attracting research grants. Seeking grants is routinely mentioned as a required skill in job announcements.
What is more, the faculty increasingly fall into two groups - those who bring research grants and those who do not. The former are academic demi-gods who earn far more that the cited average of $109k, the latter are just a notch above teaching assistants. BTW, that average is driven by law, economics, and business management. In social sciences the average is about two thirds of that average - most announcement in sociology rarely offer pay above $60k.
Wojtek