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The differences between adjunct instructors and course instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an adjunct instructor has an average salary of $52,030, which is higher than the $49,389 average annual salary of a course instructor.
The top three skills for an adjunct instructor include student learning, syllabus and student performance. The most important skills for a course instructor are course curriculum, syllabus, and course materials.
| Adjunct Instructor | Course Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $52,030 | $49,389 |
| Hourly rate | $25.01 | $23.74 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 40,633 | 28,255 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
An adjunct instructor is a faculty member responsible for teaching an area of expertise within a specific contract period. The duties of an adjunct instructor are almost identical as a regular instructor, only that the work benefits are limited. These duties include preparing comprehensive lesson plans, monitoring the students' learning progress, and evaluating their knowledge by conducting tests and activities. An adjunct instructor must have an extensive comprehension of the learning curriculum to provide lectures accordingly.
A course instructor typically works at a school or other instructional institution. Besides teaching, they are primarily responsible for developing syllabi, creating learning materials, creating lesson plans, creating coursework, administering examinations, grading, and monitoring the students' progress. Additionally, a course instructor may organize seminars for their students and invite guest speakers to provide additional insights.
Adjunct instructors and course instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Adjunct Instructor | Course Instructor | |
| Average salary | $52,030 | $49,389 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $83,000 | Between $31,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | Arlington, VA |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Kern Community College District | Jacobs Engineering Group |
| Best paying industry | Education | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between an adjunct instructor and a course instructor in terms of educational background:
| Adjunct Instructor | Course Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between adjunct instructors' and course instructors' demographics:
| Adjunct Instructor | Course Instructor | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8% | Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.9% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |