1. What is your field? some are better paid and easier than others. I always feel guilty when I realize how hard some of the faculty in science and engineering have to wrok :D
2. What is your goal? If you want to be truly successful in research, yes, you are facing a life-long hard trek.
3. where do you end up teaching. If you want to go to top schools, hey, you are bound to work hard.I happen to enjoy teaching a lot and like doing research but donn't want to work too hard, so chose a balanced school. TEaching colleges will be even easier re. tenure.
4. The best thing about being a faculty: autonomy and freedom. (I can't bear to have a supervisor watching over me during work).We used to chant during our really hard PhD days: "summers off and conferences in Hawaii... True enough: I am already done with my teaching for the semester and won't start again until the end of August. And in August, I am taking family to Hawaii for a conference. It is also nice that i can pick up kids after school and stay at home if they are sick...since I teach only two days a week.
To sum up:it is a great caree especially for girls. :D