How to hire an instructor, adjunct faculty

Instructor, adjunct faculty hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring instructors, adjunct faculty in the United States:

There are currently 282,048 instructors, adjunct faculty in the US, as well as 37,739 job openings.
Instructors, adjunct faculty are in the highest demand in Spring Hill, FL, with 4 current job openings.
The median cost to hire an instructor, adjunct faculty is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new instructor, adjunct faculty to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an instructor, adjunct faculty, step by step

To hire an instructor, adjunct faculty, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire an instructor, adjunct faculty, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step instructor, adjunct faculty hiring guide:

Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
Step 3: Make a budget
Step 4: Write an instructor, adjunct faculty job description
Step 5: Post your job
Step 6: Interview candidates
Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new instructor, adjunct faculty
Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an instructor, adjunct faculty do?

An adjunct faculty member works in a state university or college. They typically work on a part-time or contractual basis. Although they work in a university, they have limited responsibilities compared to those who work as a regular instructor, but they still need appropriate work etiquette and a love of teaching and working with students. Like any other instructor, they develop learning material, conduct lectures, prepare exams, and assess students' grades.

Learn more about the specifics of what an instructor, adjunct faculty does

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Identify your hiring needs

First, determine the employments status of the instructor, adjunct faculty you need to hire. Certain instructor, adjunct faculty roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

Determine employee vs contractor status

Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

An instructor, adjunct faculty's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, instructors, adjunct faculty from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

This list presents instructor, adjunct faculty salaries for various positions.

Type of Instructor, Adjunct Faculty	Description	Hourly rate
Instructor, Adjunct Faculty	Career and technical education teachers instruct students in various technical and vocational subjects, such as auto repair, healthcare, and culinary arts. They teach academic and technical content to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to enter an occupation.	$15-38
Faculty Member	A faculty member is responsible for teaching students a wide range of both vocational and academic subjects. As a faculty member, you will teach and impart knowledge to your students and help them with the learning process and knowledge application... Show more	$27-88
Adjunct English Instructor	An Adjunct English Instructor prepares and distributes a departmental syllabus that informs students about course requirements, testing assignments, and other pertinent information. They maintain necessary records about student performance and submit reports in a timely manner.	$16-42

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Syllabus
- Student Learning
- Course Syllabus
- Course Curriculum
- Learning Outcomes
- PowerPoint
- Learning Environment
- Mathematics
- Professional Development
- Curriculum Development
- Instructional Strategies
- Instructional Materials
- Undergraduate Courses
- LMS
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Lead early childhood program initiatives.
- Design course content, and present lectures using PowerPoint and other multimedia resources
- Inform students about course requirements, evaluation procedures and class participation and attendance requirements according to the course syllabus.
- Incorporate real-world and professional experiences with classroom discussion in health care management, leadership, healthcare sustainability, and healthcare economics.
- Serve as pre-health advisor for students interest in healthcare careers.
- Instruct ESL students on computer research methodologies for writing research papers.
More instructor, adjunct faculty duties

Make a budget

Including a salary range in your instructor, adjunct faculty job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An instructor, adjunct faculty salary can vary based on several factors:

Location. For example, instructors, adjunct faculty' average salary in south carolina is 45% less than in massachusetts.
Seniority. Entry-level instructors, adjunct faculty earn 59% less than senior-level instructors, adjunct faculty.
Certifications. An instructor, adjunct faculty with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an instructor, adjunct faculty's salary.

Average instructor, adjunct faculty salary

$52,225yearly

$25.11 hourly rate

Entry-level instructor, adjunct faculty salary

$33,000 yearly salary

Updated December 26, 2025

Average instructor, adjunct faculty salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New York	$73,859	$36
2	Massachusetts	$72,839	$35
3	Hawaii	$70,842	$34
4	California	$69,870	$34
5	Oregon	$64,927	$31
6	Minnesota	$62,210	$30
7	Washington	$60,139	$29
8	Wisconsin	$55,880	$27
9	Mississippi	$55,352	$27
10	North Carolina	$52,071	$25
11	Texas	$51,318	$25
12	Indiana	$49,717	$24
13	Florida	$49,678	$24
14	Virginia	$49,578	$24
15	Pennsylvania	$45,190	$22
16	Arizona	$43,955	$21
17	Ohio	$43,585	$21
18	Illinois	$42,041	$20

Average instructor, adjunct faculty salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Ohlone College	$91,392	$43.94
2	Touro College	$67,003	$32.21	92
3	COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND	$65,117	$31.31	135
4	Berkeley College	$64,177	$30.85	38
5	Moraine Park Technical College	$64,150	$30.84	26
6	Midwestern University	$63,595	$30.57	29
7	Daemen College	$60,463	$29.07	55
8	Terra State Community College	$60,208	$28.95	20
9	Hawaii Pacific University	$59,570	$28.64
10	MCPHS University - Boston	$59,070	$28.40	86
11	Unity College	$56,803	$27.31	31
12	Ivy Tech Community College	$56,625	$27.22	336
13	4CD Live	$56,408	$27.12
14	Bethel University	$56,369	$27.10	32
15	Bethel High School	$55,166	$26.52
16	Navajo Technical College	$54,814	$26.35	11
17	Jacksonville State University	$54,087	$26.00	13
18	Bethel College, Mishawaka	$53,592	$25.77
19	King University	$52,888	$25.43	1
20	Bryant & Stratton College	$52,605	$25.29	128

Writing an instructor, adjunct faculty job description
An instructor, adjunct faculty job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an instructor, adjunct faculty job description:
Instructor, adjunct faculty job description example
Recruiting for Academic Year 2022-23

Looking for qualified adjunct faculty to teach a variety of Enology courses.

Please note: Successful candidates will have a combination of training, technique and practice in the areas noted above. Courses are in person and applicants must reside in New York State.

Adjunct faculty are responsible for preparing lesson plans and instructional materials or activities for class. Adjunct faculty must maintain accurate records on students and submit pertinent data to the department and/or the College.

Degree requirements:
- Required Field of Expertise : Enology
- Required Degree(s) : Master's degree in related field.
Skills and experience:
- Wine making and wine lab experience
- College teaching experience preferred.
- Strong commitment to high-quality instruction in a diverse, student-centered environment and the ability to work with students with various learning styles and backgrounds.
- Interest in active and collaborative learning and enthusiasm for working in a multidisciplinary environment
Additional Information: Hiring adjunct instructors is an ongoing process. You will be contacted by the Department Chair if needed.

Application Instructions:
Applicants interested in applying MUST submit the following documents via online:
1. Resume/CV
2. Cover letter expressing interest and teaching focus
Finger Lakes Community College does not discriminate against any employee, applicant for employment, student or applicant for admission based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identification, gender expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction or any other category protected by law. The College adheres to all federal and state civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination in public institutions.
Post your job
There are a few common ways to find instructors, adjunct faculty for your business:
- Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
- Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
Post your job online:
- Post your instructor, adjunct faculty job on Zippia to find and attract quality instructor, adjunct faculty candidates.
- Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
To successfully recruit instructors, adjunct faculty, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.
You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new instructor, adjunct faculty
Once you've found the instructor, adjunct faculty candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.
It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.
Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new instructor, adjunct faculty. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an instructor, adjunct faculty?

Hiring an instructor, adjunct faculty comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting instructors, adjunct faculty involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of instructor, adjunct faculty recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

The median annual salary for instructors, adjunct faculty is $52,225 in the US. However, the cost of instructor, adjunct faculty hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring an instructor, adjunct faculty for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $15 and $38 an hour.

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Instructor, Adjunct Faculty
How to hire an Instructor, Adjunct Faculty

Updated December 26, 2025

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How to hire an instructor, adjunct faculty