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What is an adjunct assistant professor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Alex Holte PhD

An adjunct assistant professor teaches students in universities, community colleges, and vocational schools. He/She or she is usually employed on a contractual basis and works part-time. They are also involved in the evaluation of student performances, developing syllabi and course materials, preparing assessments, assisting other faculty members with lesson plans, and conducting seminars and student conferences.

An adjunct assistant professor works under the supervision of the chair of the academic department. In order to succeed in their role, they must have academic expertise, teaching ability, communication skills, organizational skills, critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills, and must be detail-oriented.

An adjunct assistant professor has a flexible work schedule. They work part-time while some of them work on a course-by-course basis. They can schedule a time to attend to students individually.

What general advice would you give to an adjunct assistant professor?

Alex Holte PhDAlex Holte PhD LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Psychology, Website

My advice for someone new to the field of academia is to learn time management skills early and learn what type of service work you find interesting and would like to contribute to. From there, learn how to say “no” to opportunities that may not align with your goals as well. I feel a lot of new professors tend to find the need to be involved in everything, which can result in burning out later in their career.
ScoreAdjunct Assistant ProfessorUS Average
Salary
7.6

Avg. Salary $100,809

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.8

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 14.53%

Black or African American 7.06%

Hispanic or Latino 10.06%

Unknown 4.92%

White 63.14%

Gender

female 47.34%

male 52.66%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress level
6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.0

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Adjunct assistant professor career paths

Key steps to become an adjunct assistant professor

  1. Explore adjunct assistant professor education requirements

    Most common adjunct assistant professor degrees

    Bachelor's

    41.9 %

    Doctorate

    26.9 %

    Master's

    25.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific adjunct assistant professor skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Course Content34.23%
    Ethics24.10%
    Physiology2.88%
    Philosophy2.71%
    Freshman2.69%
  3. Complete relevant adjunct assistant professor training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New adjunct assistant professors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an adjunct assistant professor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real adjunct assistant professor resumes.
  4. Research adjunct assistant professor duties and responsibilities

    • Lead outreach to community and statewide stakeholders in the PPCC entrepreneurship program.
    • Work with a diverse student body in both writing instruction and literature courses.
    • Instruct students in photojournalism courses as well as ethics, reporting and editing practicum.
    • Create lectures and assignments that help students draw connections between mathematics and other sciences.
  5. Prepare your adjunct assistant professor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your adjunct assistant professor resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an adjunct assistant professor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable adjunct assistant professor resume templates

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  6. Apply for adjunct assistant professor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an adjunct assistant professor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first adjunct assistant professor job

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Average adjunct assistant professor salary

The average adjunct assistant professor salary in the United States is $100,809 per year or $48 per hour. Adjunct assistant professor salaries range between $52,000 and $192,000 per year.

Average adjunct assistant professor salary
$100,809 Yearly
$48.47 hourly

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How do adjunct assistant professors rate their job?

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Adjunct assistant professor reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

being able to carry research and interact with students

Cons

salary and the requirements


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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