Psychology instructor vs adjunct psychology instructor

The differences between psychology instructors and adjunct psychology instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a psychology instructor and an adjunct psychology instructor. Additionally, an adjunct psychology instructor has an average salary of $59,064, which is higher than the $58,760 average annual salary of a psychology instructor.

The top three skills for a psychology instructor include semester, student learning and research methods. The most important skills for an adjunct psychology instructor are social work, sociology, and syllabus.

Psychology instructor vs adjunct psychology instructor overview

	Psychology Instructor	Adjunct Psychology Instructor
Yearly salary	$58,760	$59,064
Hourly rate	$28.25	$28.40
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	36,350	29,016
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Psychology instructor vs adjunct psychology instructor salary

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

	Psychology Instructor	Adjunct Psychology Instructor
Average salary	$58,760	$59,064
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $81,000	Between $42,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Kern Community College District	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between psychology instructor and adjunct psychology instructor education

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

	Psychology Instructor	Adjunct Psychology Instructor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Johns Hopkins University	Johns Hopkins University

Psychology instructor vs adjunct psychology instructor demographics

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

	Psychology Instructor	Adjunct Psychology Instructor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2%	Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between psychology instructor and adjunct psychology instructor duties and responsibilities

Psychology instructor example responsibilities.

Lead creative writing workshops where students are introduced to the craft of creative writing through short stories and poetry.
Develop curriculum, teach one course weekly during fall/winter semester and conduct class discussions, quizzes and exams on material present.
Conduct college-level courses in the fields of sociology and psychology including culture, social systems, and social changes.
Used structured syllabus with visuals, organize notes, and provide learning lessons for students with interactive tasks to apply learning.
Present lectures to several hundr undergraduate students each semester.
Present dynamic informative lectures on human anatomy and physiology.

Adjunct psychology instructor example responsibilities.

Own and manage a small business as a CPR and first aid instructor and consultant for diverse clients.
Utilize PowerPoint for each lecture.
Provide each student with clear course expectations, evaluations and timeliness through carefully written topical outlines and approve, standardize syllabus.
Cover the fundamental concepts of chemistry and biology including cell biology, metabolism, microbiology, genetics, evolution and histology.
Prepare students for TOEFL and some aspects of the GRE examinations.

Psychology instructor vs adjunct psychology instructor skills

Common psychology instructor skills

Semester, 12%
Student Learning, 6%
Research Methods, 6%
Syllabus, 5%
Social Work, 5%
Sociology, 5%

Common adjunct psychology instructor skills

Social Work, 16%
Sociology, 12%
Syllabus, 10%
Instructional Materials, 9%
Research Methods, 4%
Canvas, 4%

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Psychology Instructor
Psychology Instructor vs Adjunct Psychology Instructor

Updated January 8, 2025

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