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The differences between visiting assistant professors and adjunct faculties can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a visiting assistant professor and an adjunct faculty. Additionally, an adjunct faculty has an average salary of $83,069, which is higher than the $72,541 average annual salary of a visiting assistant professor.
The top three skills for a visiting assistant professor include philosophy, literature and mathematics. The most important skills for an adjunct faculty are student learning, syllabus, and philosophy.
| Visiting Assistant Professor | Adjunct Faculty | |
| Yearly salary | $72,541 | $83,069 |
| Hourly rate | $34.88 | $39.94 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 27,503 | 26,791 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A visiting assistant professor's responsibilities revolve around performing support tasks and conducting lectures while under the supervision or directives of a more experienced professor. Typically working for a limited period, a visiting assistant professor's duties are no different from full-time workers as their responsibilities revolve around assessing student progress through activities and examinations, developing a series of lectures, and preparing coursework. They may also monitor the progress of students, all while maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone.
Adjunct faculty is the collective term for adjunct professors or lecturers. The adjunct faculty teaches students based on the limited-term of their contract. Oftentimes, they teach preparatory or introductory courses by semester arrangement for the entire academic year. Most of them are employed in higher education. Unlike regular professors, adjunct faculty do not have benefits and are not required to be present in meetings. They can work as either a contract professor or a part-time professor.
Visiting assistant professors and adjunct faculties have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Visiting Assistant Professor | Adjunct Faculty | |
| Average salary | $72,541 | $83,069 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $125,000 | Between $45,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | University of Illinois System | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between a visiting assistant professor and an adjunct faculty in terms of educational background:
| Visiting Assistant Professor | Adjunct Faculty | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Mathematics | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between visiting assistant professors' and adjunct faculties' demographics:
| Visiting Assistant Professor | Adjunct Faculty | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8% | Male, 40.9% Female, 59.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 14.7% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 11.2% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |