Instructor vs lecturer

The differences between instructors 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 $53,426 average annual salary of an instructor.

The top three skills for an instructor include customer service, CPR and course curriculum. The most important skills for a lecturer are semester, philosophy, and syllabus.

Instructor vs lecturer overview

	Instructor	Lecturer
Yearly salary	$53,426	$61,988
Hourly rate	$25.69	$29.80
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	39,273	26,449
Job satisfaction	4	3
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	42	46
Years of experience	-	-

What does an instructor do?

Instructors are responsible for imparting knowledge to students. They are well-versed in different topics related to their area of teaching. They prepare lessons, create presentation materials and other collaterals, and present these to the students. They manage the classroom and ensure that students are attentive. Instructors are also responsible for creating ways to check the students' knowledge retention through schoolwork and examinations. They also evaluate their teaching style as well to further improve their skills for the next batch of students. Instructors should be patient, creative, and well-versed in classroom management.

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.

Instructor vs lecturer salary

Instructors and lecturers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Instructor	Lecturer
Average salary	$53,426	$61,988
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $94,000	Between $37,000 And $101,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Berkeley, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	California
Best paying company	Kern Community College District	Johns Hopkins University
Best paying industry	Government	Education

Differences between instructor and lecturer education

There are a few differences between an instructor and a lecturer in terms of educational background:

	Instructor	Lecturer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	English
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Carnegie Mellon University

Instructor vs lecturer demographics

Here are the differences between instructors' and lecturers' demographics:

	Instructor	Lecturer
Average age	42	46
Gender ratio	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%	Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 9.5% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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 Percentage	11%	16%

Differences between instructor and lecturer duties and responsibilities

Instructor example responsibilities.

Discipline kids when necessary, and manage lifeguarding duties during swimming portions of the camp.
Own and manage a small business as a CPR and first aid instructor and consultant for diverse clients.
Instruct all areas of massage therapy program including anatomy, physiology, pathology, contraindications and ethics.
Teach a broad range of ESL classes, such as pronunciation, grammar, and conversation classes.
Develop curricula for college-level philosophy and ethics courses with clear expectations and objectives in mind.
Plan and provide human anatomy and physiology course instruction and laboratory activities for students in the nursing program.

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.

Instructor vs lecturer skills

Common instructor skills

Customer Service, 11%
CPR, 11%
Course Curriculum, 8%
Professional Development, 7%
Classroom Management, 5%
Student Learning, 4%

Common lecturer skills

Semester, 20%
Philosophy, 10%
Syllabus, 5%
Course Materials, 5%
Literature, 4%
Graduate Courses, 4%

Instructor vs. similar jobs

Instructor related careers

Instructor related jobs

Instructor jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Education, Training, and Library Industry
Instructor
Instructor vs Lecturer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs