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Adjunct biology instructor vs assistant professor of biology

The differences between adjunct biology instructors and assistant professors of biology can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an adjunct biology instructor and an assistant professor of biology. Additionally, an adjunct biology instructor has an average salary of $86,786, which is higher than the $69,313 average annual salary of an assistant professor of biology.

The top three skills for an adjunct biology instructor include anatomy, student learning and general biology. The most important skills for an assistant professor of biology are research program, anatomy, and ecology.

Adjunct biology instructor vs assistant professor of biology overview

Adjunct Biology InstructorAssistant Professor Of Biology
Yearly salary$86,786$69,313
Hourly rate$41.72$33.32
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs38,33121,232
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does an adjunct biology instructor do?

An adjunct biology instructor is an adjunct faculty member whose responsibility is to teach biology-related courses. Adjunct biology instructors are educators who are employed on a part-time or contractual basis. Typically, they teach prep or introductory undergraduate courses every semester for the entire academic year. The instructors conduct lectures and lab experiments and other activities. It is expected of them to maintain equipment, reagent inventories, and labs. They also provide assistance in developing and revising the necessary courses.

What does an assistant professor of biology do?

An assistant professor of biology specializes in conducting lectures and discussions in universities. Their responsibilities revolve around developing curriculums, evaluating the students' progress through coursework and assessments, grading the students' performances, and providing assistance in difficult areas. There are also instances where they must serve as an advisor for student researches. Furthermore, an assistant professor of biology may facilitate activities and experiments in laboratories, ensuring to enforce all policies and regulations to maintain a safe and productive learning environment.

Adjunct biology instructor vs assistant professor of biology salary

Adjunct biology instructors and assistant professors of biology have different pay scales, as shown below.

Adjunct Biology InstructorAssistant Professor Of Biology
Average salary$86,786$69,313
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $156,000Between $44,000 And $108,000
Highest paying CityOakland, CAPasadena, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaUtah
Best paying companyKern Community College DistrictOur Lady of the Lake University
Best paying industryEducationEducation

Differences between adjunct biology instructor and assistant professor of biology education

There are a few differences between an adjunct biology instructor and an assistant professor of biology in terms of educational background:

Adjunct Biology InstructorAssistant Professor Of Biology
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common majorBiologyBiology
Most common collegeCornell UniversityUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Adjunct biology instructor vs assistant professor of biology demographics

Here are the differences between adjunct biology instructors' and assistant professors of biology' demographics:

Adjunct Biology InstructorAssistant Professor Of Biology
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 44.1% Female, 55.9%Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 12.7% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between adjunct biology instructor and assistant professor of biology duties and responsibilities

Adjunct biology instructor example responsibilities.

  • Lead and engage students in case study discussions regarding physiological scenarios.
  • Develop and implement class syllabus, complement and implement existing lecture and laboratory instructional materials.
  • Design research skills seminar to provide advanced training in technical laboratory skills to communication within the scientific community and the public.
  • Incorporate technology into the classroom via computers, word processing, Internet research, PowerPoint presentations and various problem solving exercises.
  • Present course information via Microsoft PowerPoint.
  • Introduce undergraduate students to concepts in intermediate microeconomics, money & banking, corporate finance and environmental economics.
  • Show more

Assistant professor of biology example responsibilities.

  • Manage externally fund genome sequencing projects as a principal investigator.
  • Conduct research with students into plant population genetics.
  • Experiment with different surface chemistry to improve quality of yields -participate in poster session and presentation to faculty and graduate students.
  • Create many Mathematica movies to help students understand important concepts in calculus.

Adjunct biology instructor vs assistant professor of biology skills

Common adjunct biology instructor skills
  • Anatomy, 15%
  • Student Learning, 14%
  • General Biology, 7%
  • Learning Outcomes, 7%
  • Science Courses, 7%
  • Teaching Methodologies, 6%
Common assistant professor of biology skills
  • Research Program, 28%
  • Anatomy, 9%
  • Ecology, 8%
  • General Biology, 6%
  • Undergraduate Research, 5%
  • Biology Courses, 4%

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