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What is a visiting assistant professor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Cheyrl Ensley

The visiting assistant professor is a non-permanent track position held by a person who has all the credentials to be assigned to that rank or previously held that rank in another institution. The teaching duties of the visiting assistant professor shall be delegated by the head of the academic department and may include the position of an academic adviser.

The visiting assistant professor may teach part-time or full-time based on the department's needs and may also be able to perform research as a Principal Investigator or Project Director on funded projects. They should be versatile by offering to teach face-to-face or providing online training. The visiting assistant professor shall be supervised administratively by the Head of Department and may exercise the oversight of graduate assistants, undergraduate majors, or student personnel.

A master's degree may be required to work for this role. Most employers prefer candidates with two to three years of teaching experience in higher education institutions. Some employers choose candidates with a doctoral degree.

What general advice would you give to a visiting assistant professor?

Dr. Cheyrl EnsleyDr. Cheyrl Ensley LinkedIn profile

Interim Head, Associate Professor, Grambling State University

Flexibility is important. The graduate must be prepared and flexible! The graduate must be prepared to teach effectively and efficiently, regardless of the delivery method and flexibility regarding reporting to the school or working from home. Be prepared and accepting of the fact that what is required of you may change unexpectedly. In this age of uncertainty, the graduate must be flexible enough to perform as needed and remain focused on student growth.
ScoreVisiting Assistant ProfessorUS Average
Salary
5.7

Avg. Salary $72,541

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.8

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 14.71%

Black or African American 6.73%

Hispanic or Latino 9.62%

Unknown 4.86%

White 63.80%

Gender

female 41.81%

male 58.19%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress level
6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.0

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Visiting assistant professor career paths

Key steps to become a visiting assistant professor

  1. Explore visiting assistant professor education requirements

    Most common visiting assistant professor degrees

    Bachelor's

    46.5 %

    Doctorate

    31.5 %

    Master's

    19.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific visiting assistant professor skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Philosophy24.37%
    Literature6.83%
    Mathematics6.03%
    Economics4.11%
    Research Methods3.64%
  3. Complete relevant visiting assistant professor training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New visiting assistant professors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a visiting assistant professor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real visiting assistant professor resumes.
  4. Research visiting assistant professor duties and responsibilities

    • Conduct weekly one-on-one and small group seminar meetings with multiple graduate students.
    • Instruct freshman-level mathematics courses, serve on departmental committees, and advise students.
    • Develop, organize, and teach university courses in sociology and behavioral sciences.
    • Conduct research in sea lamprey neurobiology and physiology in the laboratory of Dr. Weiming Li.
  5. Prepare your visiting assistant professor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your visiting assistant professor resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a visiting assistant professor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable visiting assistant professor resume templates

    Build a professional visiting assistant professor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your visiting assistant professor resume.
    Visiting Assistant Professor Resume
    Visiting Assistant Professor Resume
    Visiting Assistant Professor Resume
    Visiting Assistant Professor Resume
    Visiting Assistant Professor Resume
    Visiting Assistant Professor Resume
    Visiting Assistant Professor Resume
    Visiting Assistant Professor Resume
    Visiting Assistant Professor Resume
  6. Apply for visiting assistant professor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a visiting assistant professor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first visiting assistant professor job

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Average visiting assistant professor salary

The average visiting assistant professor salary in the United States is $72,541 per year or $35 per hour. Visiting assistant professor salaries range between $41,000 and $125,000 per year.

Average visiting assistant professor salary
$72,541 Yearly
$34.88 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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