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Research associate professor vs adjunct biology instructor

The differences between research associate professors and adjunct biology instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a research associate professor and an adjunct biology instructor. Additionally, a research associate professor has an average salary of $94,301, which is higher than the $86,786 average annual salary of an adjunct biology instructor.

The top three skills for a research associate professor include public health, biomedical and research projects. The most important skills for an adjunct biology instructor are anatomy, student learning, and general biology.

Research associate professor vs adjunct biology instructor overview

Research Associate ProfessorAdjunct Biology Instructor
Yearly salary$94,301$86,786
Hourly rate$45.34$41.72
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs57,73838,331
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does a research associate professor do?

The work of a research associate professor is conducting research, publishing papers, and attending conferences. The professor is also tasked with the job of attending academic events and networking with other researchers and field experts, as well as supervising, advising, and mentoring teaching assistants and graduate students.

What does an adjunct biology instructor do?

An adjunct biology instructor is an adjunct faculty member whose responsibility is to teach biology-related courses. Adjunct biology instructors are educators who are employed on a part-time or contractual basis. Typically, they teach prep or introductory undergraduate courses every semester for the entire academic year. The instructors conduct lectures and lab experiments and other activities. It is expected of them to maintain equipment, reagent inventories, and labs. They also provide assistance in developing and revising the necessary courses.

Research associate professor vs adjunct biology instructor salary

Research associate professors and adjunct biology instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Research Associate ProfessorAdjunct Biology Instructor
Average salary$94,301$86,786
Salary rangeBetween $58,000 And $151,000Between $48,000 And $156,000
Highest paying CitySalt Lake City, UTOakland, CA
Highest paying stateUtahCalifornia
Best paying companyUniversity of Massachusetts Medical SchoolKern Community College District
Best paying industryHealth CareEducation

Differences between research associate professor and adjunct biology instructor education

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

Research Associate ProfessorAdjunct Biology Instructor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 41%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorChemistryBiology
Most common collegeCornell UniversityCornell University

Research associate professor vs adjunct biology instructor demographics

Here are the differences between research associate professors' and adjunct biology instructors' demographics:

Research Associate ProfessorAdjunct Biology Instructor
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 69.6% Female, 30.4%Male, 44.1% Female, 55.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 17.6% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%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%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between research associate professor and adjunct biology instructor duties and responsibilities

Research associate professor example responsibilities.

  • Process and manage GIS databases to contribute towards research in human transportation behavior.
  • Conduct NIH sponsor studies on HIV/AIDS in African-American and Hispanic populations in Alabama.
  • Train students in electron microscopy, laser safety, vacuum technology, chemistry, instrumentation, and other laboratory procedures.
  • Identify glucose-induced increases in the phosphorylation levels of interest proteins, including metabolic enzymes and transcription factors by analyzing phosphoproteomics data.

Adjunct biology instructor example responsibilities.

  • Lead and engage students in case study discussions regarding physiological scenarios.
  • Develop and implement class syllabus, complement and implement existing lecture and laboratory instructional materials.
  • Design research skills seminar to provide advanced training in technical laboratory skills to communication within the scientific community and the public.
  • Incorporate technology into the classroom via computers, word processing, Internet research, PowerPoint presentations and various problem solving exercises.
  • Present course information via Microsoft PowerPoint.
  • Introduce undergraduate students to concepts in intermediate microeconomics, money & banking, corporate finance and environmental economics.
  • Show more

Research associate professor vs adjunct biology instructor skills

Common research associate professor skills
  • Public Health, 15%
  • Biomedical, 12%
  • Research Projects, 11%
  • SAS, 6%
  • NIH, 6%
  • Data Collection, 6%
Common adjunct biology instructor skills
  • Anatomy, 15%
  • Student Learning, 14%
  • General Biology, 7%
  • Learning Outcomes, 7%
  • Science Courses, 7%
  • Teaching Methodologies, 6%

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