Adjunct professor demographics and statistics in the US
Adjunct professor demographics research summary. Zippia estimates adjunct professor demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our adjunct professor estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about adjunct professors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 476,445 adjunct professors currently employed in the United States.
- 48.5% of all adjunct professors are women, while 51.5% are men.
- The average adjunct professor age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of adjunct professors is White (66.4%), followed by Asian (11.3%), Hispanic or Latino (10.1%) and Black or African American (7.0%).
- Adjunct professors are most in-demand in Phoenix, AZ.
- The education industry is the highest-paying for adjunct professors.
- 16% of all adjunct professors are LGBT.
On this page
Adjunct professor demographics by:
Adjunct professor gender statistics
48.5% of adjunct professors are women and 51.5% of adjunct professors are men.
- Male, 51.5%
- Female, 48.5%
Adjunct professor gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 51.5% |
| Female | 48.5% |
Adjunct professor gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$86,506
Female income
$80,415
Adjunct professor gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in adjunct professor positions over time. Currently, 48.5% of adjunct professors are female.
Adjunct professor gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 52.17% | 47.83% |
| 2011 | 52.70% | 47.30% |
| 2012 | 52.37% | 47.63% |
| 2013 | 51.94% | 48.06% |
| 2014 | 50.81% | 49.19% |
| 2015 | 51.65% | 48.35% |
| 2016 | 51.31% | 48.69% |
| 2017 | 51.91% | 48.09% |
| 2018 | 51.32% | 48.68% |
| 2019 | 50.90% | 49.10% |
| 2020 | 50.24% | 49.76% |
| 2021 | 51.54% | 48.46% |
Adjunct professor related jobs gender ratio
We compared adjunct professors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, hvac/r instructor and assistant professor of air conditioning and refrigeration have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetics Instructor | 8% | 92% |
| Cosmetology Instructor | 9% | 91% |
| Adjunct Nursing Faculty | 9% | 91% |
| Adjunct Professor | 52% | 48% |
| Diesel Technology Instructor | 97% | 3% |
| Assistant Professor Of Air Conditioning And Refrigeration | 97% | 3% |
| Hvac/R Instructor | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Adjunct professor demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among adjunct professors is White, which makes up 66.4% of all adjunct professors. Comparatively, 11.3% of adjunct professors are Asian and 10.1% of adjunct professors are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 66.4%
- Asian, 11.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 10.1%
- Black or African American, 7.0%
- Unknown, 4.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Adjunct professor race
| Adjunct professor race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 66.4% |
| Asian | 11.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.1% |
| Black or African American | 7.0% |
| Unknown | 4.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Adjunct professor race and ethnicity over time
See how adjunct professor racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Adjunct professor race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 72.81% | 7.19% | 9.23% | 8.18% |
| 2011 | 72.51% | 7.04% | 9.95% | 7.94% |
| 2012 | 72.10% | 7.33% | 9.82% | 8.18% |
| 2013 | 71.24% | 7.69% | 10.11% | 8.43% |
| 2014 | 71.33% | 7.31% | 9.78% | 8.82% |
| 2015 | 69.78% | 7.54% | 10.73% | 9.11% |
| 2016 | 70.27% | 7.47% | 10.45% | 9.00% |
| 2017 | 69.35% | 7.21% | 11.62% | 9.05% |
| 2018 | 71.13% | 6.95% | 9.94% | 9.25% |
| 2019 | 69.46% | 7.22% | 10.88% | 9.77% |
| 2020 | 67.54% | 6.93% | 10.52% | 9.93% |
| 2021 | 66.39% | 7.05% | 11.32% | 10.05% |
Adjunct professor wage gap by race
According to our data, asian adjunct professors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american adjunct professors have the lowest average salary at $84,004.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $85,724 |
| White | $85,915 |
| Black or African American | $84,004 |
| Asian | $90,440 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $86,574 |
Average adjunct professor age
See how the average age of adjunct professors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Adjunct professor age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 49 | 45 |
| Unknown | 44.5 | 44 |
| Asian | 41 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 41 |
| White | 48 | 46 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 54 | 48 |
Adjunct professor age breakdown
The average age of adjunct professors is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the adjunct professor population.
Adjunct professor age breakdown
| Adjunct Professor Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Adjunct professor educational attainment
The most common degree for adjunct professors is bachelor's degree, with 49% of adjunct professors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 33% and master's degree degree at 11%.
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Master's, 33%
- Doctorate, 11%
- Associate, 5%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Adjunct professors by degree level
| Adjunct professor degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 49% |
| Master's | 33% |
| Doctorate | 11% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Adjunct professor jobs you might like
Adjunct professor wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $89,949 |
| Doctorate Degree | $127,679 |
Adjunct professor employment statistics
Most adjunct professors work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where adjunct professors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where adjunct professors work.
Adjunct professor jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 8% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 17% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 15% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 52% |
| > 10,000 employees | 5% |
Adjunct professor jobs by company type
Employees with the adjunct professor job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most adjunct professors prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Adjunct professor jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 98% |
| Public | 0% |
| Private | 2% |
| Government | 0% |
Adjunct professor jobs by industry
The most common industries for adjunct professors are education, manufacturing and government.
Adjunct professor industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 96% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
Adjunct professor turnover and employment statistics
Adjunct professor unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for adjunct professors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Adjunct professor unemployment rate by year
| Year | Adjunct professor unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.13% |
| 2011 | 3.11% |
| 2012 | 3.14% |
| 2013 | 3.31% |
| 2014 | 2.86% |
| 2015 | 2.61% |
| 2016 | 2.42% |
| 2017 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | 2.40% |
| 2019 | 2.23% |
| 2020 | 2.58% |
| 2021 | 2.98% |
Average adjunct professor tenure
The average adjunct professor stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 48,307 adjunct professors resumes in Zippia's database.
Adjunct professor tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 17% |
| 1-2 years | 25% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 9% |
| 11+ years | 18% |
Adjunct professor LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of adjunct professors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Internship | 6.04% | 70,507 |
| Co-Teacher | 9.52% | 70,919 |
| Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 1,058 |
| Special Educator | 11.12% | 62,545 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Adjunct Professor | 15.52% | - |
| Instructional Technology Specialist | 16.25% | 61,365 |
Similar adjunct professor jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Internship | 6.04% | 70,507 |
| Co-Teacher | 9.52% | 70,919 |
| Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 1,058 |
| Special Educator | 11.12% | 62,545 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Instructional Technology Specialist | 16.25% | 61,365 |
Foreign languages spoken by adjunct professors
The most common foreign language among adjunct professors is Spanish at 46.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.4% and German is the third-most popular at 6.1%.
- Spanish, 46.8%
- French, 16.4%
- German, 6.1%
- Italian, 5.7%
- Portuguese, 4.3%
- Other, 20.7%
Adjunct professor languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 46.8% |
| French | 16.4% |
| German | 6.1% |
| Italian | 5.7% |
| Portuguese | 4.3% |
| Other | 20.7% |
