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The differences between adjunct professors and adjunct instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an adjunct professor has an average salary of $98,821, which is higher than the $52,030 average annual salary of an adjunct instructor.
The top three skills for an adjunct professor include course curriculum, syllabus and semester. The most important skills for an adjunct instructor are student learning, syllabus, and student performance.
| Adjunct Professor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $98,821 | $52,030 |
| Hourly rate | $47.51 | $25.01 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 22,488 | 40,633 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
Adjunct professors are instructors who are employed on a contractual basis, commonly in part-time positions. They teach courses in the same manner as full-time professors do, but they are free from some of the duties of those fully employed university instructors or in tenure-track positions. They create, develop, distribute, review, and manage course syllabus materials. They teach students, evaluate their performance, and maintain records of attendance, engagement, and progress. They may also facilitate lectures, conduct seminars, and do other administrative tasks within the department. Most adjunct professors enjoy teaching as part-time because they have more flexibility in terms of schedule, can avoid the dilemma of the higher education system and it's known to be less stressful and demanding.
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.
Adjunct professors and adjunct instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Adjunct Professor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Average salary | $98,821 | $52,030 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $219,000 | Between $32,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Providence, RI | Bakersfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Rhode Island School of Design | Kern Community College District |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between an adjunct professor and an adjunct instructor in terms of educational background:
| Adjunct Professor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between adjunct professors' and adjunct instructors' demographics:
| Adjunct Professor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5% | Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 11% |