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The differences between associate professors and adjunct professors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an associate professor, becoming an adjunct professor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an associate professor has an average salary of $103,292, which is higher than the $98,821 average annual salary of an adjunct professor.
The top three skills for an associate professor include patients, public health and philosophy. The most important skills for an adjunct professor are course curriculum, syllabus, and semester.
| Associate Professor | Adjunct Professor | |
| Yearly salary | $103,292 | $98,821 |
| Hourly rate | $49.66 | $47.51 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 30,083 | 22,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
An associate professor works as a teacher at higher education institutions like universities and colleges. Normally, associate professors teach classes pertinent to a certain field of their expertise. They teach and speak in seminars, conduct research, supervise students, and attend conferences. Among their other responsibilities are advising teaching assistants, discussing administrative tasks, and collaborating with their colleagues. They are expected to have great knowledge of the subject they are teaching and good communication skills.
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.
Associate professors and adjunct professors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Professor | Adjunct Professor | |
| Average salary | $103,292 | $98,821 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $189,000 | Between $44,000 And $219,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Baylor College of Medicine | Rhode Island School of Design |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between an associate professor and an adjunct professor in terms of educational background:
| Associate Professor | Adjunct Professor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | University of Texas at Austin | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between associate professors' and adjunct professors' demographics:
| Associate Professor | Adjunct Professor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0% | Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 17.1% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |