Adjunct professors?

Question

About how much do adjunct professors make, at an "average" university? (I'm not talking Ivy league or anything). Also, how are they contracted? I am assuming it isn't the same as regular professors and am wondering if it is done by semester or is more flexible, since many adjuncts have other jobs and do this on the side. If anyone does this for a living I would appreciate input...thank you!

Answer 1

The salaries for adjuncts vary incredibly, based on the need (supply and demand) and the salaries paid to regular faculty members. You would just have to write the school you are interested in and find out.

It's a hard way to make a living, but if you are looking for halfway decent part-time work, it can be OK. I've known some people who live in metropolitan areas to take adjunct positions at two or even three schools at the same time and string together a fairly decent income. And if you are young and just getting started in academia, it's a good way to get experience, build up a resume, and maybe get some recommendations for the future.

On the down side, you usually are given the least desirable classes to teach, at the least desirable times, and you have no security--often from semester to semester, to say nothing of year to year. Your pay will be relatively low (colleges save money by hiring adjuncts), and you will have few if any benefits (health insurance, etc.). On the other hand, expectations are also usually fairly low (you're not expected to serve on committees, attend faculty meetings, etc.).

All in all, other than those just starting out (as mentioned above), adjunct positions work especially well for people with other lives (musicians, writers, etc.) who want some supplementary income. They can also work well for parents with kids in school. And if you actually like to teach, this is an opportunity to do so without devoting your entire life to the profession.

Answer 2

Adjunct work has the value of allowing an instructor to work multiple campuses, work with a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students, but it can be pigeon-holing in that most adjuncts stay adjuncts, some for 30 or more years, inching upward in the pay scale but not necessarily arriving at full-time, tenure track. Keep in mind that in most states, community colleges and universities, 75% of the faculty is derived from semi-permanent adjunct positions. Further, the lack of job security and finding yourself "bumped" from a schedule due to a full-time instructor will be n ongoing worry. Keep in mind, tenure track jobs are not automatic and are becoming more rare to obtain. It has its pluses and minuses!