Adjunct Professor Job Description for Resume

Updated on: April 7, 2021
Adjunct Professor Position Overview

Adjunct professors are best described as teaching professionals who are hired by colleges and universities on a temporary or per-project basis. These individuals possess deep awareness of their respective subjects and are required to impart education to their students, based on their own experiences.

Typically, adjunct professors are highly paid individuals who have a proper focus – such as in medicine. In other less technical ones, they may actually be paid less than an average professor.

Basically, an adjunct professor will perform all the duties of a lead teacher, including curriculum development and lesson planning, but with a slightly higher educational standard in mind.


For common responsibilities of an adjunct professor, refer to the list of duties given below:

Adjunct Professor Duties and Responsibilities to Add in a Resume

• Create and implement dedicated subject curriculum to meet the higher education needs of students
• Develop lesson plans according to the set subject curriculum and in accordance with each student’s capacity to learn
• Ascertain that developed and implemented curriculum meets departmental and college standards
• Plan, create and impart lectures on different topics within the subject of expertise
• Encourage class discussions by asking students to indulge in debates regarding topics or the subject as a whole
• Hand out assignments based on each concept learned in class and provide guidance in how to attempt them
• Check assignments and grade them according to each student’s individual understanding and point of view
• Advise students on how to critically analyze situations, in a bid to understand the subject matter properly
• Assist students in performing research by providing them with information on resources
• Observe students closely to ensure that all of them are on the same page as far as learning objectives are concerned
• Evaluate students’ performance and learning outcomes through projects, assignments, and discussions
• Provide consultation to students to assist them in deciding and meeting their objectives
• Review course evaluations and use feedback to improve course delivery directives

Adjunct Professor Skills

To work in this position, one must be a clear communicator, be able to teach with real-world experience, and be technology savvy. A master’s degree is imperative to work at this position as adjunct professors need to teach higher education classes.

Adjunct Professor Salary

Depending on where they work and what they are trained to teach, adjunct professors make between $30,000 and $62,000 annually. A significant increase (by 2022) in need for adjunct professors for the following subjects is projected by BLS:

Subject% Increase
Biological Science19%
English Literature12%
Philosophy and Religion19%
Mathematical Science11%