Instructor vs professor

The differences between instructors and professors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a professor has an average salary of $157,570, 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 professor are philosophy, curriculum development, and mathematics.

Instructor vs professor overview

	Instructor	Professor
Yearly salary	$53,426	$157,570
Hourly rate	$25.69	$75.75
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	39,273	21,861
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	42	46
Years of experience	-	2

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 professor do?

A professor is a teaching professional who provides instructions to students on various academic and vocational subjects in colleges, universities, and vocational schools. Professors design curriculums for courses and ensure that they meet college and department students. They continuously conduct research and experiments so that advanced knowledge in their field is completed. They share their research and works by publishing them in books and academic journals. They also provide assistance to graduating students.

Instructor vs professor salary

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

	Instructor	Professor
Average salary	$53,426	$157,570
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $94,000	Between $88,000 And $280,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	California
Best paying company	Kern Community College District	Oregon Health & Science University
Best paying industry	Government	Education

Differences between instructor and professor education

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

	Instructor	Professor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Northwestern University

Instructor vs professor demographics

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

	Instructor	Professor
Average age	42	46
Gender ratio	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%	Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3%
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, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 12.8% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	16%

Differences between instructor and professor 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.

Professor example responsibilities.

Used blackboard online to manage students tests, grade papers and assign materials.
Instruct students in anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, college mathematics, and pharmacology math and dosage calculations.
Educate adult students in medical math, anatomy & physiology, business communications ,
Teach social science subjects including sociology, psychology and human services.
Mentore newly hire philosophy teachers on school culture as well as the program s academic requirements.
Prepare and deliver material to students on topics such as ethics, logic, and contemporary religious think.

Instructor vs professor skills

Common instructor skills

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

Common professor skills

Philosophy, 10%
Curriculum Development, 9%
Mathematics, 6%
C++, 5%
Literature, 5%
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 Professor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs