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The differences between science faculty members and adjunct professors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a science faculty member and an adjunct professor. Additionally, an adjunct professor has an average salary of $98,821, which is higher than the $70,683 average annual salary of a science faculty member.
The top three skills for a science faculty member include philosophy, social work and physiology. The most important skills for an adjunct professor are course curriculum, syllabus, and semester.
| Science Faculty Member | Adjunct Professor | |
| Yearly salary | $70,683 | $98,821 |
| Hourly rate | $33.98 | $47.51 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 30,806 | 22,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A science faculty member teaches the science subject and facilitates laboratory activities. They can work in elementary schools, high schools, and even colleges and universities. Their responsibilities typically include developing lesson and coursework plans, preparing teaching materials, conducting quizzes and examinations, establishing guidelines, and monitoring the students' academic progress, assisting them when necessary. Moreover, as a science faculty member, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with the faculty staff and keep a safe and healthy classroom environment for the students.
Adjunct professors are instructors who are employed on a contractual basis, commonly in part-time positions. They teach courses in the same manner as full-time professors do, but they are free from some of the duties of those fully employed university instructors or in tenure-track positions. They create, develop, distribute, review, and manage course syllabus materials. They teach students, evaluate their performance, and maintain records of attendance, engagement, and progress. They may also facilitate lectures, conduct seminars, and do other administrative tasks within the department. Most adjunct professors enjoy teaching as part-time because they have more flexibility in terms of schedule, can avoid the dilemma of the higher education system and it's known to be less stressful and demanding.
Science faculty members and adjunct professors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Science Faculty Member | Adjunct Professor | |
| Average salary | $70,683 | $98,821 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $125,000 | Between $44,000 And $219,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Atrium Health Floyd | Rhode Island School of Design |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a science faculty member and an adjunct professor in terms of educational background:
| Science Faculty Member | Adjunct Professor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Cornell University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between science faculty members' and adjunct professors' demographics:
| Science Faculty Member | Adjunct Professor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.7% Female, 51.3% | Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 14.7% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |