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The differences between adjunct professors and assistant professors 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 professor and an assistant professor. Additionally, an adjunct professor has an average salary of $98,821, which is higher than the $87,099 average annual salary of an assistant professor.
The top three skills for an adjunct professor include course curriculum, syllabus and semester. The most important skills for an assistant professor are patients, public health, and pediatrics.
| Adjunct Professor | Assistant Professor | |
| Yearly salary | $98,821 | $87,099 |
| Hourly rate | $47.51 | $41.87 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 22,488 | 30,531 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 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 assistant professor is an entry-level position who teaches in a university, conducts research, and assists senior professors. Assistant professors supervise undergraduate and graduate students at the same time provide professors and department heads with feedback on the progress of their students. To be effective in teaching and mentoring students, assistant professors must possess strong communication skills with advanced knowledge of their field. They must also have a Ph. D degree in the relevant academic discipline as well as teaching experience in a university setting.
Adjunct professors and assistant professors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Adjunct Professor | Assistant Professor | |
| Average salary | $98,821 | $87,099 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $219,000 | Between $50,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | Providence, RI | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Rhode Island School of Design | UT Medical Group, Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between an adjunct professor and an assistant professor in terms of educational background:
| Adjunct Professor | Assistant Professor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between adjunct professors' and assistant professors' demographics:
| Adjunct Professor | Assistant Professor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5% | Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 17.4% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |