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Lecturer vs adjunct instructor

The differences between lecturers and adjunct instructors 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 $52,030 average annual salary of an adjunct instructor.

The top three skills for a lecturer include semester, philosophy and syllabus. The most important skills for an adjunct instructor are student learning, syllabus, and student performance.

Lecturer vs adjunct instructor overview

LecturerAdjunct Instructor
Yearly salary$61,988$52,030
Hourly rate$29.80$25.01
Growth rate12%2%
Number of jobs26,44940,633
Job satisfaction3-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4642
Years of experience--

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.

What does an adjunct instructor do?

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.

Lecturer vs adjunct instructor salary

Lecturers and adjunct instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.

LecturerAdjunct Instructor
Average salary$61,988$52,030
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $101,000Between $32,000 And $83,000
Highest paying CityBerkeley, CABakersfield, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyJohns Hopkins UniversityKern Community College District
Best paying industryEducationEducation

Differences between lecturer and adjunct instructor education

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

LecturerAdjunct Instructor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorEnglishBusiness
Most common collegeCarnegie Mellon UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Lecturer vs adjunct instructor demographics

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

LecturerAdjunct Instructor
Average age4642
Gender ratioMale, 54.5% Female, 45.5%Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8%
Race ratioBlack 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%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 Percentage16%11%

Differences between lecturer and adjunct instructor duties and responsibilities

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.
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Adjunct instructor example responsibilities.

  • Utilize blackboard management system to encourage online discussions and manage grades.
  • Develop syllabus, PowerPoint presentations on the disease model of alcoholism, physiology and pharmacology of addictive drugs and introduction to counseling
  • Revise and update syllabus with contemporary psychology, economics, and sociology research.
  • Experience with blackboard online software, facilitate on line instruction and assessments, utilize advanced technologies for presentations.
  • Prepare and deliver brief lectures to undergraduate students on topics such as mammalian physiology, reproduction, genetics, etc.
  • Modele positive work ethics, punctuality and professionalism.
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Lecturer vs adjunct instructor skills

Common lecturer skills
  • Semester, 20%
  • Philosophy, 10%
  • Syllabus, 5%
  • Course Materials, 5%
  • Literature, 4%
  • Graduate Courses, 4%
Common adjunct instructor skills
  • Student Learning, 10%
  • Syllabus, 7%
  • Student Performance, 5%
  • Professional Development, 5%
  • Philosophy, 5%
  • Course Curriculum, 4%

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