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The differences between general education instructors and adjunct instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general education instructor has an average salary of $58,566, which is higher than the $52,030 average annual salary of an adjunct instructor.
The top three skills for a general education instructor include professional development, syllabus and curriculum development. The most important skills for an adjunct instructor are student learning, syllabus, and student performance.
| General Education Instructor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $58,566 | $52,030 |
| Hourly rate | $28.16 | $25.01 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 81,527 | 40,633 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A general instructor typically works in a college or high school. They have the basic duty of creating and participating in a variety of learning environments to provide the best opportunities for students to learn. They are required to make use of instructional techniques in the classroom and are expected to be able to generate participation from everyone in the classroom. They are also expected to be able to identify students who need assistance in their academics and to tutor them.
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.
General education instructors and adjunct instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Education Instructor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Average salary | $58,566 | $52,030 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $92,000 | Between $32,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Bakersfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Kern Community College District |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a general education instructor and an adjunct instructor in terms of educational background:
| General Education Instructor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between general education instructors' and adjunct instructors' demographics:
| General Education Instructor | Adjunct Instructor | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3% | Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.8% 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% |