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Job outlook for chemistry instructors, adjunct in the United States
Chemistry instructor, adjunct job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected chemistry instructor, adjunct job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 159,400 new jobs for chemistry instructors, adjunct are projected over the next decade.
Chemistry instructor, adjunct salaries have increased 5% for chemistry instructors, adjunct in the last 5 years.
There are over 4,346 chemistry instructors, adjunct currently employed in the United States.
There are 35,641 active chemistry instructor, adjunct job openings in the US.
The average chemistry instructor, adjunct salary is $66,675.
Are chemistry instructor, adjunct jobs in demand?
Chemistry instructor, adjunct job and salary trends over time
Chemistry instructor, adjunct jobs over time
Chemistry instructor, adjunct job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,346 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 4,618 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,586 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,584 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 4,524 | 0.00% |
Average chemistry instructor, adjunct salary over time
Chemistry instructor, adjunct salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $66,675 | $32.06 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | $65,970 | $31.72 | - |
| 2024 | $65,970 | $31.72 | +3.1% |
| 2023 | $64,013 | $30.78 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | $63,648 | $30.60 | +2.3% |
Chemistry instructor, adjunct jobs by state
Most common states for chemistry instructors, adjunct
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 188 | 27% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 157 | 21% |
| 3 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 936 | 17% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,322 | 16% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 163 | 16% |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 539 | 13% |
| 7 | Vermont | 623,657 | 84 | 13% |
| 8 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 556 | 11% |
| 9 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,904 | 10% |
| 10 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 895 | 10% |
| 11 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 589 | 10% |
| 12 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 447 | 10% |
| 13 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 57 | 10% |
| 14 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 894 | 9% |
| 15 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 605 | 9% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 294 | 9% |
| 17 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 270 | 9% |
| 18 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 166 | 9% |
| 19 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 164 | 9% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 93 | 9% |
Most common cities for chemistry instructors, adjunct
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Council Bluffs | 1 | 2% | $64,000 |
| 2 | Dubuque | 1 | 2% | $64,196 |
| 3 | Davenport | 1 | 1% | $64,276 |
Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of chemistry instructor, adjunct experts
Tiffin University
Springfield College
University of Arizona
SUNY College at New Paltz
One University Parkway
San Diego Mesa College
Augustana College
University of Notre Dame
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Augustana University
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Yale University
UNC Asheville
College of Charleston
SUNY Potsdam
Franklin and Marshall College
University of West Georgia
Dr. Stephanie Opfer
Associate Professor of English, Assistant Dean of the School of Creative and Media ArtsTiffin University
Visual And Performing Arts
What will help Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct increase their earning potential?
Dr. Stephanie Opfer: Unfortunately, teaching as an adjunct does not pay well. Students should keep their full-time jobs and teach part-time until they find a full-time job at a college or university. That part-time teaching provides them valuable experience and connections that make them more competitive candidates for full-time positions because they'd also be competing with candidates who have PhDs. So adjunct work is more of a long-term investment rather than an immediate return. Also, even full-time teaching jobs don't pay particularly well, so they'll really need to love teaching if they want to do it full-time. If they don't like teaching as an adjunct, they won't like doing it full-time.
Stephen Maris Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Graduate CoordinatorSpringfield College
Department of Exercise Science and Athletic Training
What hard/technical skills are most important for Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct?
Stephen Maris Ph.D.: The skills that are most important related to technical items are related to technology for the classroom, as well as technologies in use in the current state of anatomy and physiology literature. At this moment, that includes experience using Real-Time PCR, ELISAs, biomechanical analyses, measurements of cardiovascular function, and more. In terms of teaching the course, the instructors also need to have a strong background in the use of technology and pedagogical techniques that would be most appropriate for the class situation.
Megan Carney Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Arizona
School of Anthropology
What skills stand out on Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct resumes?
Megan Carney Ph.D.: For those seeking a teaching position, it is really important to demonstrate previous teaching experience. At this point, it is highly preferred that job applicants have both in-person/classroom teaching experience as well as experience with online teaching, as so many departments are offering both options to students. Applicants should be specific on their resumes and CVs about the courses they taught, course evaluations, and even include some feedback from their former students. If one has taught online, they should list the platforms they're familiar with, such as Canvas and D2L. There is also a strong interest in applicants who have pursued further pedagogical training to augment their sensibilities as instructors that will help to improve accessibility for students. For instance, the Disability Cultural Center at the University of Arizona offers an Ableism 101 workshop and certificate.
Megan Ferguson
Chair and Associate Professor of ChemistrySUNY College at New Paltz
Department of Chemistry
What skills stand out on Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct resumes?
Megan Ferguson: Teaching experience - if coming straight out of grad school, what TA experience and what quality TA experience does the applicant have? Has the applicant done any workshops or shown other signs of being interested in pedagogy?
What soft skills should all Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct possess?
Megan Ferguson: Organization and good communication skills. An on-campus interview would include a mock lecture.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct?
Megan Ferguson: The breadth of chemistry knowledge and ease with laboratory equipment
What skills will help Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct earn the most?
Megan Ferguson: Different colleges will pay different salaries, but they will probably be pretty set. You're unlikely to get much of a difference in starting salary based on any particular skill - you're just more likely to get the job.
Keir Fogarty Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of ChemistryOne University Parkway
Chemistry Department
What soft skills should all Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct possess?
Keir Fogarty Ph.D.: -Concrete evidence of oral and written communication skills
-As well as interpersonal skills, effective time management, multitasking, making effective use of limited resources
What hard/technical skills are most important for Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct?
Keir Fogarty Ph.D.: -Clear evidence of scientific acumen/expertise
-Research experience either in academia or industry
-Experience with current scientific techniques/instrumentation
What skills will help Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct earn the most?
Keir Fogarty Ph.D.: I think proven experience in technical chemistry environments is the main $ booster
Oscar Acevedo Ph.D.
ProfessorSan Diego Mesa College
Chemistry Department
What skills stand out on Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct resumes?
Oscar Acevedo Ph.D.: Chemistry instructors need some connection to the outside world; they need to have worked in industry, or health sciences, or biotech. This allows them to tie chemistry fundamentals to real-world situations.
What soft skills should all Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct possess?
Oscar Acevedo Ph.D.: Instructors need wisdom gathered from having lived through students followed by professional lives. It matters that extensive social interactions might lead to understanding student problems in assimilation, application, and resolve.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct?
Oscar Acevedo Ph.D.: Professional careers are teeming with procedures that depend on instrumentation. The more an instructor can be familiar with Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spec, NMR techniques, X-ray crystallography, and others, the better he can explain the need and importance to students.
What skills will help Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct earn the most?
Oscar Acevedo Ph.D.: The more you know, the more you will be the "go-to" person in any situation. The more technical and specialized fields like new communication materials, new methods of detection will earn the most. See all of the above.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct?
Fredy Rodriguez-Mejia Ph.D.: From the social science perspective, students should seek out training and certifications in the following fields: qualitative and quantitative data analysis (e.g. NVivo, MAXQDA, and EXCEL); data visualization software (MS PowerBI, Tableau); UX Design Research bootcamps.
What will help Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct increase their earning potential?
Fredy Rodriguez-Mejia Ph.D.: The more skills and certification students can get, the better positioned they will be to negotiate higher wages based on the contributions they can offer to a given organization, company or institution. Students should volunteer for research projects where they can be exposed to and learn more about research techniques and data analysis approaches.
What will help Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct increase their earning potential?
Eric Haanstad Ph.D.: While many graduates begin exciting career paths immediately after graduation, others pursue advanced degrees and speciality training. Some maximize earnings in corporate sectors and business anthropology while others seek international positions for cultural interest and financial leverage. Design anthropology, for example, is one of the most exciting and lucrative fields to emerge recently as opportunities to build careers in user experience, design thinking, and future making proliferate in private and public sectors from tech companies to humanitarian organizations.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Amanda Poole: Anthropology is of increasing relevance in our globalizing world. The unique tools and perspectives of anthropology include thinking holistically, critically, and cross-culturally about complex issues, appreciating and translating across different experiences and perspectives, and conducting research that helps to provide depth of understanding. Applied anthropologist Cathleen Crain explains, "Adding an anthropologist to a research team is like moving from black-and-white TV to color. We're able to observe shades of color that others can't see. Anthropologists understand complexity and can help devise answers that reflect that complexity."
Anthropologists work in four main sectors where they apply a knowledge and skill set related to culture, diversity, and the social impacts of program and policies: academia, government, corporate and business careers, and non-profit or community-based careers. Archaeological anthropologists often work in the field of Cultural Resource Management (CRM). CRM tracks to the building and development industries which are rebounding from COVID, meaning the demand for archaeology is also picking up.
Anthropological skill sets lend themselves to work in a broad variety of professions, including disaster planning and response, development, product development, and humanitarian aid. The global economy demands people with a knowledge of multi-cultural issues and with the skill set to understand and work sensitively and respectfully with people from a variety of backgrounds. As we engage in Covid-19 recovery across varied communities and tackle complex social and environmental challenges facing us at local, national, and global scales, there is a clear growing need for anthropologically trained professionals.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct?
Dr. Amanda Poole: Anthropologists with a BA can find jobs that use their skill sets, but an MA or PhD opens up more job opportunities. Becoming a Registered Archaeologist (
How have salaries changed over time for Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct?
Dr. Amanda Poole: Salaries have consistently gone up in archaeology and anthropology at rates that exceed cost of living increases. A student with a BA in archaeology and a field school can make on average $18/hr. With more experience they can make an average of $22/hr. For professionals holding BA or MA credentials in anthropology more broadly, the median pay in 2019 was $63,670 per year. Salaries increase with credentials.
What's a good job out of college for Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct?
Jason Kruse: I work in the Cultural Resource Management (CRM - archeology) field of anthropology. This is where most college graduates will end up working once they complete their degree. This is a field with slow but steady job growth in comparison to most other professions. I believe projected job growth is only expected to be between 5-10% over a decade. Most of the CRM positions start out as seasonal with a small percentage moving into a permanent job. The jobs that are created are directly linked to infrastructure growth and maintenance, whether it is replacing a section of natural gas pipeline, new mining proposals, highway expansion, etc.. The other factor for job placement is the occasional research contract, which typically has a few permanent full time employees with seasonal help. The job market for graduates has a steady growth and there are numerous jobs for those that are willing to travel extensively from job to job until they find the place that has/needs additional full time employees. The important part is to be willing to travel form job to job, work for various entities, and network with the people they are working with. So, there hasn't been any major shift in the CRM field as far as employment.
Moving forward, there will be new job markets opening up in artificial intelligence as the science behind AI develops and cultural diversity becomes more important to place that technology in a diverse human landscape. Many museum jobs are slightly contracted due to closures and reduced revenue, but those jobs will be opening back up as we push past the pandemic. Jobs in anthropology related to the medical field will likely be steady as we move forward to understand the effects of the pandemic. There will likely be some new jobs created in studying the cultural effects of the pandemic across the demographics of different communities.
I think we are going to see more entry-level jobs opening than we will with senior level, due to the fact that many places have lost an extensive amount of revenue. Many people have taken on multi role job assignments at the senior level as mid level employees have been let go.
Dr. Rhonda Dass Ph.D.
Director - American Indigenous Studies/Museum Studies, Chair/Professor - Anthropology DepartmentMinnesota State University, Mankato
Anthropology Department
What technical skills for a Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct stand out to employers?
Dr. Rhonda Dass Ph.D.: Employers need people who can analyze data, create practical solutions to everyday problems, and apply their skills to situations.
Erin Vogel Ph.D.
Henry Rutgers Term Chair Professor, Associate ProfessorRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Department of Anthropology and Center for Human Evolutionary Studies
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct job market given the pandemic?
Erin Vogel Ph.D.: Unfortunately, the job market this year is not great. A lot of universities have hiring freezes right now. However, I am hoping we will see an increase in job openings in Fall 2021.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct job market given the pandemic?
Roderick McIntosh Ph.D.: In principal, the academic job market was strengthening, somewhat, before the pandemic, and then many universities imposed a total hiring freeze. Once the pandemic is over, however, I anticipate a return to the improvement.
What skills stand out on Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct resumes?
Roderick McIntosh Ph.D.: There is no substitute for as much field experience as possible, and at least one analytical laboratory skill is critical. I do not see many pure archaeometry positions opening up (as opposed to the traditional region-focus anthropological archaeology trend), but science-based archaeology is on the rise.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct to find work opportunities?
Roderick McIntosh Ph.D.: Whatever the situation with academic positions, I anticipate a continuing strong market in contract and salvage archaeology. This should be the case particularly if Congress gets its act together on infrastructure projects. Contract archaeology takes place throughout the country.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct job market given the pandemic?
John Wood Ph.D.: I suspect the obvious answer here is that it will be competitive. I also suspect that employers will be looking for versatility, flexibility, and the ability to adjust to new and emerging circumstances. I would hope that for graduates of anthropology programs, the skills of ethnographic fieldwork would be more marketable than ever. Finding out what various others in various contexts are doing, thinking, feeling, and believing and then writing it up in a report that is accessible to others is going to be an increasingly useful skill set. It is a skill set for which cultural anthropologists and ethnographers are trained.
What experience really stands out on Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct resumes?
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice: The experience that most stands out on resumés, to my mind, is definitely internships or anything where the applicant has had to show initiative and exercise independent thought.
What Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kathryn Grow Allen: For students who want to go to graduate school, taking a gap year is not necessarily a bad thing (I took two)! That year can be a time to reflect and make sure you want to go to graduate school (rather than just enrolling because you're not sure what to do next). It also gives you time to ensure you've found the right graduate program for you. During a gap year (or years), build skills that will make you more successful in graduate school. These can be simple, such as solidifying time management techniques that work for your personality type so you can successfully juggle difficult course work, involvement in research, teaching, article and grant writing...the many different areas you need to be involved in during graduate school. Likewise, networking should be a high priority during a gap year and is truly a skill that gets easier the more you do it. Reaching out to people who are in your desired career field can be intimidating but a coffee with a senior member of the field can lead to a mentoring relationship or, at least, great insight into opportunities and practical advice from lived experience. Anthropology is a close community, connecting and building collaboration skills is incredibly important. This is true for students combining anthropology with another field (business, medicine, conservation) as well. Some other skills worth developing including ANY communication skills (writing, verbal, public speaking) and creating online content. Students should build a professional webpage or train in creating video and interactive medias. These technical skills will be extremely helpful in marketing oneself and one's work outputs.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct in the next 3-5 years?
Kathryn Grow Allen: For students going on to graduate school in anthropology, this will depend on the type of anthropology. Advancement in ancient and modern DNA technology will continue to grow in importance for biological anthropologists, technology that tracks environmental changes at endangered ancient sites will become vital for archaeologists, digital recording and communication technology will be imperative for cultural and linguistic anthropology initiatives. It is important to stay informed (and innovative!) with emerging technology that can be applied to your specific area of anthropology. More broadly speaking, however, all anthropology majors should train in digital content creation. This might mean becoming familiar with video software, basic website development tools, the ins and outs of getting ideas to spread (for example, familiarity with SEO and how to get your work consumed by a lot of people). It is more important than ever that anthropologists share widely how important understanding humanity is to just about any industry you can name. The idea that culture, human identity, and human history underlines everything going on in the world today cannot be overstated. Anthropologists, both those who earn masters and PhDs in the field and those who enter the work force with a bachelors, should be a part of communicating anthropology and its value when applied widely.
What general advice would you give to a Chemistry Instructor, Adjunct?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Keep open to possibilities beyond the narrow range of what your diploma lists as your major or minor. Whatever job you get trained for today, in 10-20 years, it may be very different. Or it may not exist. Focus on obtaining and maintaining flexibility, critical thinking, creativity, and passion for learning. Being an interesting person is as vital as any credential.
How do you envision technology impacting Chemistry Instructors, Adjunct in the next 5 years?
Ye Chen Ph.D.: Technology is an integral part of this field. Technology advances will no doubt bring in new exciting research opportunities and practice innovations. As people better leverage new important technology such as virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, machine learning, innovative research, and practices will emerge in personalized and immersive e-learning. The black swan event, the COVID 19 pandemic, will further accelerate this trend by placing an urgent call for improving people's e-learning experience.