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The salary for an Adjunct English Instructor varies widely across the United States, with the average being $55,901 annually. Factors influencing this salary include geographic location, years of teaching experience, and the type of institution, such as community colleges or universities.
States like California, New York, and Massachusetts typically offer higher salaries for adjunct instructors. In California, for example, salaries can reach up to $70,000 depending on the institution and experience level. Many adjunct positions also allow for additional income through summer courses or online teaching.
With the demand for higher education continuing to grow, adjunct instructor roles offer flexible opportunities for educators looking to share their expertise. Many positions are available part-time, allowing instructors to balance personal commitments while contributing to students’ learning journeys. Those interested in pursuing a role as an adjunct can search for opportunities on job boards like Zippia, which provide resources and insights on salary trends.
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The average adjunct english instructor salary in California, Connecticut, and Nevada are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average adjunct english instructor salary states are South Carolina, Florida, and New Mexico.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $96,441 | $46.37 |
| 2 | Nevada | $76,525 | $36.79 |
| 3 | New York | $73,223 | $35.20 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $75,017 | $36.07 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $72,758 | $34.98 |
| 6 | Montana | $59,062 | $28.40 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $72,468 | $34.84 |
| 8 | Delaware | $70,668 | $33.98 |
| 9 | Alaska | $60,387 | $29.03 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $79,304 | $38.13 |
| 11 | Michigan | $60,529 | $29.10 |
| 12 | Maryland | $63,294 | $30.43 |
| 13 | Utah | $66,942 | $32.18 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $60,645 | $29.16 |
| 15 | Vermont | $63,083 | $30.33 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $59,457 | $28.59 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $59,982 | $28.84 |
| 18 | Oregon | $53,396 | $25.67 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $62,442 | $30.02 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $50,655 | $24.35 |
| 21 | Washington | $59,662 | $28.68 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $54,691 | $26.29 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $56,184 | $27.01 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $55,558 | $26.71 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $51,430 | $24.73 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $48,006 | $23.08 |
| 27 | Maine | $56,229 | $27.03 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $52,111 | $25.05 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $45,845 | $22.04 |
| 30 | Virginia | $48,562 | $23.35 |
| 31 | Colorado | $48,175 | $23.16 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $50,218 | $24.14 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $48,715 | $23.42 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $45,146 | $21.70 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $49,607 | $23.85 |
| 36 | Georgia | $45,473 | $21.86 |
| 37 | Iowa | $45,432 | $21.84 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $42,755 | $20.56 |
| 39 | Illinois | $48,278 | $23.21 |
| 40 | Arizona | $47,173 | $22.68 |
| 41 | Missouri | $47,554 | $22.86 |
| 42 | Texas | $44,462 | $21.38 |
| 43 | Kansas | $48,012 | $23.08 |
| 44 | Ohio | $43,890 | $21.10 |
| 45 | Alabama | $45,413 | $21.83 |
| 46 | Florida | $42,312 | $20.34 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $42,286 | $20.33 |
| 48 | Minnesota | $44,602 | $21.44 |
| 49 | Indiana | $31,905 | $15.34 |
| 50 | Idaho | $36,973 | $17.78 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $35,128 | $16.89 |
The highest-paying cities for adjunct english instructors are Porterville, CA, Buffalo, NY, and Auburn, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porterville, CA | $100,879 | $48.50 |
| 2 | Buffalo, NY | $68,628 | $32.99 |
| 3 | Auburn, WA | $60,225 | $28.95 |
| 4 | Sioux Falls, SD | $56,071 | $26.96 |
| 5 | West Bend, WI | $55,722 | $26.79 |
| 6 | Baton Rouge, LA | $54,831 | $26.36 |
| 7 | Altoona, PA | $49,528 | $23.81 |
| 8 | Fredericksburg, VA | $49,515 | $23.81 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $48,363 | $23.25 |
| 10 | Colorado Springs, CO | $48,195 | $23.17 |
| 11 | Richmond, KY | $47,988 | $23.07 |
| 12 | Durham, NC | $45,777 | $22.01 |
| 13 | Alpharetta, GA | $45,751 | $22.00 |
| 14 | Dubuque, IA | $45,617 | $21.93 |
| 15 | Cheyenne, WY | $45,200 | $21.73 |
| 16 | Duluth, MN | $45,016 | $21.64 |
| 17 | Fort Worth, TX | $44,500 | $21.39 |
| 18 | Athens, OH | $43,406 | $20.87 |
| 19 | Florence, SC | $43,238 | $20.79 |
| 20 | Bradenton, FL | $42,778 | $20.57 |
An adjunct english instructor's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $88,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
| 75th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| Average | $55,901 | $4,658 | $27 |
| 25th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
The highest paying types of adjunct english instructors are language instructor, english language teacher, and english professor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English As A Second Language Teacher | $55,428 | $4,619 | $26.65 | 97,211 |
| Instructor, Adjunct Faculty | $52,225 | $4,352 | $25.11 | 37,739 |
| English Language Teacher | $57,831 | $4,819 | $27.80 | 74,779 |
| High School English Teacher | $50,369 | $4,197 | $24.22 | 71,673 |
| Instructor Of Spanish | $54,930 | $4,578 | $26.41 | 25,516 |
| English Professor | $56,038 | $4,670 | $26.94 | 20,821 |
Top companies hiring adjunct english instructors now:
Adjunct english instructor salaries at Kern Community College District and Chicago State University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average adjunct english instructor salary at companies like Central State University and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kern Community College District | $122,952 | $59.11 |
| 2 | Chicago State University | $67,569 | $32.49 |
| 3 | Central State University | $67,553 | $32.48 |
| 4 | Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | $66,569 | $32.00 |
| 5 | COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND | $64,831 | $31.17 |
| 6 | Moraine Park Technical College | $64,742 | $31.13 |
| 7 | Southern New Hampshire University | $62,799 | $30.19 |
| 8 | Johnson University | $62,081 | $29.85 |
| 9 | Laramie County Community College | $61,570 | $29.60 |
| 10 | Keuka College | $60,710 | $29.19 |
| 11 | Virginia's Community Colleges | $59,517 | $28.61 |
| 12 | University of Rhode Island | $59,284 | $28.50 |
| 13 | California Baptist University | $58,832 | $28.28 |
| 14 | Nashville State Community College | $57,349 | $27.57 |
| 15 | PSEA | $57,134 | $27.47 |
| 16 | Grand Canyon University | $56,702 | $27.26 |
| 17 | University of Sioux Falls | $56,514 | $27.17 |
| 18 | Lindenwood University | $56,402 | $27.12 |
| 19 | Marquette University | $55,736 | $26.80 |
| 20 | University at Buffalo | $54,689 | $26.29 |
The average adjunct english instructor salary has risen by $6,149 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average adjunct english instructor earned $49,752 annually, but today, they earn $55,901 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for adjunct english instructors over the last decade.
Compare adjunct english instructor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare adjunct english instructor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $55,900 | $26.88 | +0.7% |
| 2024 | $55,500 | $26.68 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $53,900 | $25.94 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $52,600 | $25.28 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $51,600 | $24.82 | +2.7% |
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