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Graduate teaching assistant vs lecturer

The differences between graduate teaching assistants and lecturers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lecturer has an average salary of $61,988, which is higher than the $44,994 average annual salary of a graduate teaching assistant.

The top three skills for a graduate teaching assistant include lab experiments, laboratory sections and undergraduate courses. The most important skills for a lecturer are semester, philosophy, and syllabus.

Graduate teaching assistant vs lecturer overview

Graduate Teaching AssistantLecturer
Yearly salary$44,994$61,988
Hourly rate$21.63$29.80
Growth rate-12%
Number of jobs12,59826,449
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age4446
Years of experience--

What does a graduate teaching assistant do?

A Graduate Teaching Assistant may work in Learning Facilities by teaching short courses under supervision or assist the Faculty Staff in various aspects such as research. They can also lend a hand in preparing and creating learning materials such as presentations, handouts, and other teaching-related tasks. Furthermore, among the duties of a Graduate Teaching Assistant may include handling written reports, preparing or cleaning laboratories and facilities, grading and evaluating students' papers, and preparing examinations or other quiz material.

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.

Graduate teaching assistant vs lecturer salary

Graduate teaching assistants and lecturers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Graduate Teaching AssistantLecturer
Average salary$44,994$61,988
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $74,000Between $37,000 And $101,000
Highest paying CityTerre Haute, INBerkeley, CA
Highest paying statePennsylvaniaCalifornia
Best paying companyCalifornia State University, FullertonJohns Hopkins University
Best paying industryEducationEducation

Differences between graduate teaching assistant and lecturer education

There are a few differences between a graduate teaching assistant and a lecturer in terms of educational background:

Graduate Teaching AssistantLecturer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common majorBiologyEnglish
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCarnegie Mellon University

Graduate teaching assistant vs lecturer demographics

Here are the differences between graduate teaching assistants' and lecturers' demographics:

Graduate Teaching AssistantLecturer
Average age4446
Gender ratioMale, 50.4% Female, 49.6%Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%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 Percentage6%16%

Differences between graduate teaching assistant and lecturer duties and responsibilities

Graduate teaching assistant example responsibilities.

  • Accomplish assessment of PU foam samples base on morphology by SEM and optical microscope.
  • Assist classmates with developing positive study habits and strategies for managing classroom material.
  • Tutor calculus, algebra, probability, financial mathematics and others as requested.
  • Learned advance PCR techniques and troubleshooting.
  • Analyze yield of Suzuki reaction using HPLC.
  • Develop method for analysis of steroids in herbal medicines using HPLC.
  • Show more

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.
  • Show more

Graduate teaching assistant vs lecturer skills

Common graduate teaching assistant skills
  • Lab Experiments, 22%
  • Laboratory Sections, 8%
  • Undergraduate Courses, 8%
  • Organic Chemistry, 6%
  • Mathematics, 3%
  • Course Materials, 3%
Common lecturer skills
  • Semester, 20%
  • Philosophy, 10%
  • Syllabus, 5%
  • Course Materials, 5%
  • Literature, 4%
  • Graduate Courses, 4%

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