Lecturer vs teacher

The differences between lecturers and teachers 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 $47,989 average annual salary of a teacher.

The top three skills for a lecturer include semester, philosophy and syllabus. The most important skills for a teacher are ESL, handle scheduling, and kids.

Lecturer vs teacher overview

	Lecturer	Teacher
Yearly salary	$61,988	$47,989
Hourly rate	$29.80	$23.07
Growth rate	12%	4%
Number of jobs	26,449	71,918
Job satisfaction	3	4.14
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	46	42
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 a teacher do?

Being a teacher is one of the most passionate professions, among others. Teachers educate, motivate, and guide every generation of learners to prepare them for the real world. Every teacher is unique and has their own teaching styles and methods depending on the subject they teach and the age of their students. Oftentimes they also function as a parent, counselor, coach, friend, and even a lawmaker. There is essentially no limit to the roles a teacher portrays.

Lecturer vs teacher salary

Lecturers and teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lecturer	Teacher
Average salary	$61,988	$47,989
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $101,000	Between $32,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	California	Maryland
Best paying company	Johns Hopkins University	King Low Heywood Thomas
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between lecturer and teacher education

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

	Lecturer	Teacher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	English	Elementary Education
Most common college	Carnegie Mellon University	University of Pennsylvania

Lecturer vs teacher demographics

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

	Lecturer	Teacher
Average age	46	42
Gender ratio	Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5%	Male, 25.7% Female, 74.3%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	16%	9%

Differences between lecturer and teacher 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.

Teacher example responsibilities.

Work closely with co-teacher to manage and co-teach curriculum to a large group.
Target at risk and high achieving students using levele readers and DRA strategies.
Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
Develop social studies and geography curriculum.
Provide kindergarten readiness in approaching phonemic awareness, phonics, and introductory math skills.
Attend and participate in ESL professional development activities, conferences/workshops, curriculum/program planning, & special events and activities.

Lecturer vs teacher skills

Common lecturer skills

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

Common teacher skills

ESL, 17%
Handle Scheduling, 15%
Kids, 12%
Classroom Management, 7%
CPR, 5%
Curriculum Development, 4%

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Lecturer vs Teacher

Updated January 8, 2025

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