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Business instructor vs adjunct professor

The differences between business instructors and adjunct professors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an adjunct professor has an average salary of $98,821, which is higher than the $48,740 average annual salary of a business instructor.

The top three skills for a business instructor include student learning, human resources and business administration. The most important skills for an adjunct professor are course curriculum, syllabus, and semester.

Business instructor vs adjunct professor overview

Business InstructorAdjunct Professor
Yearly salary$48,740$98,821
Hourly rate$23.43$47.51
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs68,51222,488
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age4646
Years of experience-4

What does a business instructor do?

A business instructor specializes and focuses on teaching students about various businesses. In learning institutions, a business instructor is responsible for preparing lesson and coursework plans, performing extensive research, organizing various activities to enhance the students' skills and knowledge, facilitating discussions, conducting quizzes and examinations, and developing strategies for better learning. Moreover, a business instructor encourages students to reach their short and long term goals, monitoring their progress while maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone.

What does an adjunct professor do?

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.

Business instructor vs adjunct professor salary

Business instructors and adjunct professors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Business InstructorAdjunct Professor
Average salary$48,740$98,821
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $92,000Between $44,000 And $219,000
Highest paying CitySanta Rosa, CAProvidence, RI
Highest paying stateCaliforniaRhode Island
Best paying companyFordham UniversityRhode Island School of Design
Best paying industryFinanceEducation

Differences between business instructor and adjunct professor education

There are a few differences between a business instructor and an adjunct professor in terms of educational background:

Business InstructorAdjunct Professor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Business instructor vs adjunct professor demographics

Here are the differences between business instructors' and adjunct professors' demographics:

Business InstructorAdjunct Professor
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 45.6% Female, 54.4%Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.2% 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 Percentage16%16%

Differences between business instructor and adjunct professor duties and responsibilities

Business instructor example responsibilities.

  • Manage online grading system through Moodle.
  • Teach MBA and undergraduate courses in economics, finance, statistics, and general business.
  • Provide class instruction via on-line blackboard platform and on-site.
  • Create and implement lesson plans corresponding to the established VDOE CTE curriculum.
  • Present all class material and policies accurately and clearly for each semester.
  • Provide support in students special education meetings and conferences as the CTE teacher.
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Adjunct professor example responsibilities.

  • Lead outreach to community and statewide stakeholders in the PPCC entrepreneurship program.
  • Develop and prepare class syllabus and teaching materials for strategic management, business and government ethics, and organizational behavior classes.
  • Provide instruction/guidance for nursing students; deliver didactic lectures on human anatomy and physiology.
  • Identify course objectives, design syllabus, develop all instructional activities and materials, including written exams.
  • Facilitate courses in communications, economics, leadership, management, corporate finances, strategic planning and organizational behavior.
  • Develop and teach course curriculum on the subject of exercise science and clinical pharmacology to athletic training students.
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Business instructor vs adjunct professor skills

Common business instructor skills
  • Student Learning, 8%
  • Human Resources, 7%
  • Business Administration, 6%
  • Business Management, 6%
  • Curriculum Development, 5%
  • Course Materials, 5%
Common adjunct professor skills
  • Course Curriculum, 11%
  • Syllabus, 8%
  • Semester, 6%
  • Blackboard, 4%
  • Student Learning, 4%
  • Course Materials, 4%

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