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The differences between assistant professors and adjunct instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assistant professor has an average salary of $87,099, which is higher than the $52,030 average annual salary of an adjunct instructor.
The top three skills for an assistant professor include patients, public health and pediatrics. The most important skills for an adjunct instructor are student learning, syllabus, and student performance.
| Assistant Professor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $87,099 | $52,030 |
| Hourly rate | $41.87 | $25.01 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 30,531 | 40,633 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
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.
Assistant professors and adjunct instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Professor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Average salary | $87,099 | $52,030 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $151,000 | Between $32,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Bakersfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | UT Medical Group, Inc. | Kern Community College District |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between an assistant professor and an adjunct instructor in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Professor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between assistant professors' and adjunct instructors' demographics:
| Assistant Professor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5% | Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |