In line with the growing relevance of higher education and science for societal developmentand innovation processes, there has been a steady increase in the salience of interrelationswith the extra-academic environment in the context of academics’ work. Insights into the statusof this so-called third mission in the academic profession remain fragmented, however. Weuse the concept of an academic identity as an analytical lens to investigate this statusempirically based on an original survey among 4,284 professors in Germany across the fullrange of academic disciplines. The results show that the third mission is firmly included in theacademic identities of many, but not all, professors and that the forms of inclusion differ.Specifically, we are able to identify four types of identities: (1) the dedicated type whoembraces the third mission as a whole; (2) the idealistic type who emphasizes responsibilitytoward society and sociopolitical matters; (3) the pragmatic type who emphasizes materialwork-related and personal benefits; and (4) the reserved type, characterized by an overalldistanced stance. We furthermore find evidence of a strong impact of disciplinary communitieson the specific types of identities that academics develop, whereas the organizational contextand the cohorts to which academics belong appear less relevant. In addition, there areindications that individual characteristics shape the identity formation process. Last, there arestrong and differential associations between academics’ identities and their actual third missionengagement. Overall, it appears that the third mission—at least if its multifaceted nature isconsidered—is a relevant area of activity for a significant share of the academic profession.