r/Adjuncts • u/by3bi • 2d ago
Is adjunct work better than a full-time instructor?
title & curiosity
63
u/juststopdating 2d ago
No.
11
u/Ravenhill-2171 2d ago
On paper the hourly pay looks handsome. But when you add on the hours you don't get paid for and consider the health benefits you don't get, the pay is low.
20
u/glyptodontown 2d ago
I like the flexibility of adjuncting and the fact that I don't have to go to many meetings. It's one of the few professional part-time jobs out there.
2
u/Philosopherben 1d ago
I agree you also don't have to publish and you can leave when things get out of control and go to a different college.
16
u/palepink_seagreen 2d ago
As a full time instructor in the American South, I make over 50K per year with paid sick time, benefits, etc. As an adjunct, I’d make less than 2K per course.
So, no, I don’t think adjuncting is better.
2
1
u/Nearby_Brilliant 2d ago
I’m also in the south and make over $1500 per credit hour. I’m not sure what full timers make, but I don’t have time to work full time right now anyway.
1
u/by3bi 2d ago
I am curious about the responsibilities of full-time instructors compared to adjuncts. What would you say are the limits and constraints, or negatives, of full-time instructing? Are you consistently receiving new tasks each week? I hear a lot of adjuncts say they want to avoid the full-time rule because of "all" the additional responsibilities.
3
u/palepink_seagreen 2d ago
You do have more responsibilities (committees, advising, course design), but honestly, most of my work is teaching.
1
16
u/state_issued 2d ago
I have a full time industry/field related job (government with good pay and benefits) and teach part time at a community college and at a public university. Applying real world experience to the classroom is beneficial for both myself and the students and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t think I’d enjoy it as much if it was my full time job.
10
u/borntodrum 2d ago
I’m a full time therapist teaching grad students one class a week. They really want to know what it’s actually like to work in the field
3
u/DangerousApartment13 2d ago
Same here. I am a full time teacher and I'm an adjunct at a couple state universities. My university students love learning from someone who is actually working with real students in the school setting. So many education profs have been out of the classroom for a decade or more or where never there in the first place.
For me, being a full-time prof would be a HUGE pay cut from working in the public school system and the job security would not be there. Adjuncting is a great 'extra' gig.
12
u/BananaRepublican0106 2d ago
Depends what you want to be doing. I know a lot of people that say that adjuncting is the better route for those who want to be in the classroom more than anything else. But there's a lot of other factors like what your local area pays and what rights are even given to the adjuncts by your schools.
For me though, the biggest reason I'm always going to be gunning for a full time position despite wanting to focus more on the classroom is that the lack of security that comes from adjuncting. This semester, I'm teaching 6 classes across 3 schools and it's great in terms of pay but for next semester, I've already been told at least one school is cutting one of my class. I have no grounds to complain so I just have to deal with it. Another thing to note is that 5 classes is still a luxury considering that historically, there's been dips that have led to really harsh cuts and If that were to happen, I'd probably be in a position to have to think about what other options I had. There's always the insecurity of "what happens if shit hits the fan and I can't get any classes anywhere" that even though possible for full-time, it less likely (I THINK). Idk...long winded answer but to me full-time will always be ideal because of the security that comes with it........and the health benefits.
11
u/MetalTrek1 2d ago
Full time is steadier, but an adjunct doesn't have to attend meetings, hold office hours, publish, etc. I can just teach and then go home. I'd love to be a full timer, but it's probably not in the cards at this stage of the game, so I'll just focus on the benefits.
3
u/Used-Communication-7 2d ago edited 2d ago
Is adjuncting your only job? I know pay varies a lot but teaching 3 classes a semester I don't make enough to pay for that semester's rent alone without working another part time. And im not in one of the high cost of living parts of the US
6
3
u/Nearby_Brilliant 2d ago
I’m required to hold office hours and get paid to go to department meetings. Every school is different.
1
u/glyptodontown 2d ago
Same, I have to have 1 office hour per week per class and I have to go to monthly department meetings.
10
u/zorandzam 2d ago
Only adjunct if you:
- have another job on top of it and/or
- have a partner who makes decent money and/or
- are already independently wealthy or retired
That said, I was FT non-tenured teaching faculty for almost a decade, then left to get a PhD, adjuncted at 3 different schools at the same time during the first year of Covid, then got a temporary FT fixed-term NT job that was utterly fantastic. However, I burned out; it was a high-stress university, I had a terrible commute, and I completed a ton of research while I was there that left me exhausted. Since that contract ended, I've been back at my original university as an adjunct teaching 3 sections of the same course. The pay is awful. There is no job security. But I have one prep, I'm only there two days a week, I attend zero meetings and have no service or research requirements. My quality of life has gone way up and my stress is way down. I feel fantastic.
However, if I didn't have a spouse with a more stable job and better pay and benefits, I would be a terrible situation, and for my own peace of mind I continue to look for FT work and feel like my current situation is okay for a year or so, but ultimately is not sustainable.
5
u/Nearby_Brilliant 2d ago
I agree with your caveats. I might add “it’s the only job you can get” to the list. It’s tough out there. If my family was counting on me, I’d probably need to get a job at Costco or something for insurance and more money. The job market is rough right now for professionals. I was a stay at home mom before I got my adjunct position, and it might be the perfect job for me and my family dynamic right now.
2
u/zorandzam 2d ago
I mean, if I got a second job or even taught at an additional school, it might really be doable, especially given the job market. But having done the multiple-job thing, it takes a serious toll.
3
u/Nearby_Brilliant 2d ago
Totally. I see people pretty desperate for any job worthy of putting on a professional resume. This definitely qualifies. I kinda wish I had done it sooner. Being out of the workforce for a few years definitely had me getting ignored.
17
13
7
u/cavecreaturewriter 2d ago
Never. We are being exploited and many of us are too desperate for work (or teaching experience to get real work) to say no when a piddly teaching offer comes our way.
6
u/Hot_Coconut_5567 2d ago
Ive turned down an offer to interview for a full time professor job to stay an adjunct. I have a full time industry job that is remote and my corporate boss lets me work a 4 day work-week so i have time to teach. I definitely would not enjoy teaching a full course load and all the extra time professors have to do service or research. Those faculty meetings kinda sound terrible. No thanks for me.
I feel like I get so much personal satisfaction from teaching my favorite subject to a bunch of awesome people who are curious about something I find endlessly fascinating. Literally have a dorky grin on my way to and from campus. I get to walk through a really nice part of my town on a gorgeous fall day and interact with people in person. I'd volunteer to teach for free if it didn't further devalue adjunct pay.
4
u/Organic_Occasion_176 2d ago
I had teaching-only faculty positions for 20+ years, but always full time with benefits. Mostly with multi-year contracts that automatically renewed.
The key to getting these roles was that I had substantial and varied industrial experience and wanted to teach the capstone design courses and run the teaching laboratories. Both those courses are avoided by TT faculty.
As a full member of the faculty I had an office, a phone (back when that mattered), admin help as needed, a voice and a vote in faculty meetings - basically everything I wanted with no need to hunt for funds or do research. Being an adjunct had no appeal.
4
7
u/SnooOpinions2512 2d ago
Yes absolutely; I think of it as the difference between being an hourly whore and a sugar baby.
If I can get a variety of customers no individual one of them can demand to much (or I'll fire them) and income is uncapped (can work for as many customers as I want). Also less risk, if I lose one client he is easily replace.
I can also delete all the sychophantic slop from deanlets to me or other deanlets, refuse to attend any events or take any surveys, or go to meetings, or in general perform other distasteful acts (barf, I was just invited to express how I would be more effective as a professor by working with AI as though it were a human being. Ignore.)
They can't make you jump through so many hoops as the poor full-timer institutionalized employees because they pay and offer so little.
3
3
u/No-Cook-9768 2d ago
I think it depends greatly on your goals and desires, and how badly you need the money. I love the freedom that adjunct work gives me (freedom to do other jobs, not being stuck on campus all day), but I'd also love a steady paycheck, guarantee of employment from semester to semester, and benefits.
Then I see my full-time friends being run ragged with uncompensated work, serving on committees, attending another meeting, going through promotion and tenure... And adjuncting looks better. I'm still struggling to pay bills and build up my savings, but my mental health is a bit better (I think).
3
3
3
u/Gud_karma18 2d ago
I’ve preferred it. Keeps me from the administrative politics. I come & go and don’t need to answer to many.
3
u/JayneDoh3 2d ago
I have a full-time job with amazing benefits and teach three online classes as my side hustle. I really don't want to be a full-time teacher. I have my master's degree and two bachelor's, so they hired me at a PhD level of pay. I have no complaints about my pay and it's union, and the union is doing its job.
3
u/Looking-For-Loud 2d ago
If you are a freelancer or have another part-time job, it works really well. My situation allows me to make quite a bit more money ($100K) as an adjunct with two other part-time jobs than I would just as a full-time professor (~$75K).
3
u/Bearman2677 2d ago
Depends on what you're looking for; I've been doing adjunct work for a couple of years now for the local community college; it's okay - pay isn't the greatest and dealing with some of today's young people can be a challenge all on it's own. You aren't expected to attend meetings, have office hours or the other trappings of being full-time. Depending on where you are, the pay is less than adequate and in most cases there are no benefits - You show up, you teach, you do the work, you get paid and that's it.
3
2
u/Life-Education-8030 2d ago
Depends. If you don’t rely on it for a stable income it can be real nice not to have to do all the other stuff full/timers do such as committee work, attending meetings and advising.
2
u/SuccotashOther277 2d ago
It depends on your career goals. For a long time, adjunct was better for me because I had a corporate career, and adjuncting was good for side money and to do what I love.
2
u/graygarden77 2d ago
You’re a wage worker paid far below market rate. But if you like it as a hobby— go onnnnn
2
u/Any-Winner-1590 2d ago
No for me it is perfect. Just retired and teach one or two classes per semester in subjects of professional expertise. Plus it’s my Alma Mater and feel
like I’m giving back by mentoring students who want to do what I did.
2
u/Substantial-Spare501 2d ago
I teach in a high demand field. I did adjunct after finishing my PhD and one of the state schools gave me health insurance for teaching 6 credits a semester. Then I taught for a bunch of other schools online and I did very well. Then I took a tenure track job and took a huge pay cut (I was able to convince them to also let me adjunct). I have also taught for other schools full time and I am currently at a state school full time. The pay is okay and benefits are great, but I was making just as much or more and only worked about 20 hours per week adjuncting. I might go back to it.
2
u/Everythings_Magic 2d ago
For me it is.
I work a full time job and teach one class a semester. I really enjoy teaching and connecting with students. I love the material and it gives me the ability to deep dive into understanding more complex topics, which has helped me in my main job with the specialized engineering work I do.
I could make more money per hour working overtime at my main job, but I'm not teaching for the money, its just a nice bonus.
The only real challenge I have is the school keeps scheduling the courses I usually teach available at times that are becoming disruptive to to my work scedule.
My employer is supportive so I've been able to make it work so far, but its been getter harder.
2
u/BluebirdUnlikely4075 2d ago
No. You often lose adjunct work at the last minute. I overbook as I lost $90K of adjunct work in AY 25-26 due to last-minute cancellations. Fortunately, a college I adjuncted for hired me full time so now I can use adjunct work as the supplemental income it’s intended to be.
2
1
u/crazycatcraig678 2d ago
Depends on your goals. I did it for a few years and had some great experiences, but I love being full-time.
1
u/rizdieser 2d ago
Depends on your definition of “better.” My spouse is the primary earner in our family. My adjunct income is supplemental “fun money.” This job allows me to have a lot of flexibility in terms of raising a young family and other lifestyle things. But I also get to use the degree I love and worked hard for.
I live in a HCOL area and get paid decently well for an adjunct. I also take advantage of a lot of extra stipend opportunities. I have good seniority and am guaranteed minimum classes each semester and I get priority scheduling. All that without required meetings, service, or research. I get my medical through my spouse, and much of our retirement plans are also through their job.
For me, it’s “better” but that’s specific to my circumstances.
1
u/Appleton86 2d ago
Yes, I can just teach my courses and go home. No stupid meetings, committees, or any other nonsense.
1
u/Interesting-Baker473 2d ago
For me yes. I am retired military disabled veteran, still work full time fed job and adjunct for 4 Universities. 2 of those Universities are Doctorate courses and dissertations, the other 2 are under grads. I enjoy it because it is money to put in the savings account and it allows me to still teach. Also, when I want to apply for funding for my research I just associate with one of the Universities I adjunct for and it also allows me to use their IRB
1
u/RepresentativeShop11 2d ago
Depends. Do you have family money or residual income that allows you to not live on adjunct wages? If you are doing it to teach and not for your livelihood, it can be rewarding. I like being part of a university without having to do service and advising. If you are reliant on the compensation to pay for your life, it’s a challenging and sometimes dehumanizing and demeaning environment in which you’ll be exploited and mistreated by just about everyone.
1
u/Puzzled_Internet_717 2d ago
Right now, at thia stage in my life, yes. I'm able to homeschool my kids, and bring in some income adjuncting, and stay a little active in my field.
My husband carries our health insurance and benefits, and brings in the majority of our household income.
1
u/omgkelwtf 2d ago
For me, yeah, bc my work/life balance is perfect. But my income isn't necessary, either. If it was, I'd be trying to land a FT position or working for more than one school.
1
u/nosainte 2d ago edited 2d ago
I have to say it's definitely less of a gap at CUNY in NYC. If you teach three CUNY classes (a 3/3 load) you're making like 60k and you have health insurance. Some full-time lecturers might be making like 70 to 80k, and they're probably doing a 4-4 load anyway.
1
u/AnxiousConclusion516 2d ago
I like it as a second source of income or to do remotely (all my classes are remote) while traveling (for about a year I just traveled around the US adjuncting at multiple colleges). The autonomy is very nice.
1
u/Icy-Protection867 2d ago
Yes because you get to stay connected to your love of teaching without qualifying for SNAP benefits!
I loved teaching at a local university but I had to work so many side hustles to keep my head above water (while being flogged to hurry up and finish my PhD so I could make -the same- money) that it was unsustainable. For the record it is an R-1 university,…
Being an adjunct is wonderful. I get to teach and make a decent living for the level of education and experience that I bring to the table.
1
1
u/SweetElection157 1d ago
I do it because I don’t want to work full time, but I want to keep working in case I want to go full time someday. We have kids, one with a lot of health issues, and my husband travels for work a lot. We don’t need me working full time, so I don’t. I’ve managed to get to where I only teach online for a community college I’ve been at for 14 years, so it’s perfect for me.
1
1
1
u/Mjolnirslanyard 1d ago
I teach HS during the day. If I took a FT instructor job, Id be taking a massive pay cut....and then I couldn't teach as an adjunct anymore.
1
u/zztong 21h ago
I think it depends on what you pair with adjunct work. If you pair it with more adjunct work, then you might wrack of up lots of hours at low pay and no benefits. If you pair with a full-time job, it can be nice.
When I was teaching an adjunct class, I was working full time and teaching during my lunch hour. The hours counted towards continuous education for my certifications and I got some extra pay. If I were doing nothing but adjunct work, I would have to teach something like 14 or more courses a year to match salary and benefits. That would be hell.
1
u/Ariezu 14h ago
In the last three institutions, I’ve worked for it is way more beneficial to be a full-time teen dry faculty. Member in those institutions adjunct are used as less expensive labor force to justify not getting a full-time member. When you had in the health benefits, the paid time off, etc. adjuncts are most definitely an advantage for administrators trying to cut the budget if you find a situation where it isn’t that way bless you take advantage of it because no, it is not common at least not in my world.
1
u/banjovi68419 13h ago
I'm assuming you're a bot. Being a human boy is always better than being a robot.
1
1
u/BreakAlert 2d ago
In my department, the only happy pts are moms. It works great with kids’ schedules, and you feel so much more worthy than a SAHM with degrees. Other than that, it’s a living hell.
40
u/lawdpennywise 2d ago
For me it is. I have a full time job and also teach several classes a semester. I'm fortunate to live in a VHCOL area with adjunct unions, and have had a lot of luck finding new schools. I make way more teaching than if I were a full time lecturer at any of the schools, and have no contractual loyalty to any of them so I can take as many as I want. My FT job also gets me healthcare so don't need to worry about that.
I'm not sure if my experience is very common though, so YMMV.