Assistant professor vs lecturer

The differences between assistant professors and lecturers 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 $61,988 average annual salary of a lecturer.

The top three skills for an assistant professor include patients, public health and pediatrics. The most important skills for a lecturer are semester, philosophy, and syllabus.

Assistant professor vs lecturer overview

	Assistant Professor	Lecturer
Yearly salary	$87,099	$61,988
Hourly rate	$41.87	$29.80
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	30,531	26,449
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	-

What does an assistant professor do?

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.

What does a lecturer do?

A lecturer, also known as a university lecturer, is a teaching professional who teaches students in colleges and educational establishments. Lecturers provide support to students in their research activities by assessing their work and through a pastoral and advisory role. Aside from teaching students, lecturers may carry out administrative tasks such as student enrolment, induction programmers, and involvement in committees and boards. They may also contribute to professional seminars and seminars about their expertise and participate in the training activities of staff members.

Assistant professor vs lecturer salary

Assistant professors and lecturers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Assistant Professor	Lecturer
Average salary	$87,099	$61,988
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $151,000	Between $37,000 And $101,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Berkeley, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	California
Best paying company	UT Medical Group, Inc.	Johns Hopkins University
Best paying industry	Government	Education

Differences between assistant professor and lecturer education

There are a few differences between an assistant professor and a lecturer in terms of educational background:

	Assistant Professor	Lecturer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Nursing	English
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Carnegie Mellon University

Assistant professor vs lecturer demographics

Here are the differences between assistant professors' and lecturers' demographics:

	Assistant Professor	Lecturer
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5%	Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5%
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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 17.7% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between assistant professor and lecturer duties and responsibilities

Assistant professor example responsibilities.

Lead outreach to community and statewide stakeholders in the PPCC entrepreneurship program.
Used blackboard online to manage students tests, grade papers and assign materials.
Develop courses in immunology and research ethics, and develop super laboratory courses in cellular physiology and molecular biology.
Conduct research using molecular biology, genetics, histochemistry, cell biology, biochemistry.
Chair psychology and sociology departments, teach psychology classes, revise student practicum program, establish outreach mechanisms to reach alternative students
Serve as professor for humanities and sociology.

Lecturer example responsibilities.

Create web sites and documentation, using HTML, to manage various projects.
Manage a database, compile, retrieve, review and analyze test scores.
Develop and lead ELA lessons at the 8th grade level, with an emphasis on critical reading and literary analysis.
Establish and maintain practical pharmacology, anatomy and physiology labs.
Prepare course syllabus, instructional materials and assignments, assessment materials in an online distance education format.
Provide the necessary background including anatomy, chemistry, physiology, genetics, development, and environmental interactions of microorganisms.

Assistant professor vs lecturer skills

Common assistant professor skills

Patients, 17%
Public Health, 6%
Pediatrics, 5%
Curriculum Development, 4%
Research Projects, 4%
Professional Development, 4%

Common lecturer skills

Semester, 20%
Philosophy, 10%
Syllabus, 5%
Course Materials, 5%
Literature, 4%
Graduate Courses, 4%

Assistant Professor vs. similar jobs

Assistant Professor related careers

Assistant Professor related jobs

Assistant Professor jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Education, Training, and Library Industry
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor vs Lecturer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs