Adjunct faculty members in 2018 were likely to be over age 40, to have a master’s as their highest degree, and to teach one or two courses at a single institution. Although more than half of adjuncts earned less than $3,000 per course, 43 percent of those who were married or lived with a partner reported annual household income exceeding $100,000. Adjuncts who were single, by contrast, reported much lower household income, nearly two-thirds of them with incomes of less than $50,000.
| Representation among all part-time nontenure-track faculty members |
| Adjunct faculty members | 66% |
| Professors of practice | 23% |
| Retired tenured faculty members | 11% |
| |
| Age (adjuncts only) |
| Under 40 | 28% |
| 40 to 54 | 32% |
| 55 to 69 | 34% |
| 70 and older | 6% |
| Median age | 51 |
| |
| Gender |
| Female | 52% |
| Male | 47% |
| |
| Marital status |
| Married or living with partner | 67% |
| Not married | 33% |
| |
| Highest degree |
| Doctorate | 32% |
| Master’s | 56% |
| Professional/other terminal | 6% |
| Bachelor’s | 5% |
| |
| Academic discipline |
| Humanities/social sciences | 55% |
| Professional/sciences | 44% |
| |
| Number of institutions at which they teach |
| 1 | 74% |
| 2 | 19% |
| 3 to 6 | 7% |
| |
| Number of courses (if teaching at 1 institution) |
| 1 | 35% |
| 2 | 35% |
| 3 or more | 28% |
| |
| Number of courses (if teaching at 2 or more institutions) |
| 2 | 16% |
| 3 or 4 | 44% |
| 5 or more | 39% |
| |
| Average pay per course |
| Less than $2,000 | 28% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 30% |
| $3,000 to $3,999 | 19% |
| $4,000 or more | 22% |
| |
| Worked for pay outside higher education in past academic year |
| If working at one institution | 40% |
| If working at more than one institution | 55% |
| |
| Annual household income for adjuncts of all marital statuses |
| Less than $50,000 | 29% |
| $50,000 to $99,999 | 30% |
| $100,000 or more | 30% |
| For single adjuncts |
| Less than $50,000 | 65% |
| $50,000 to $99,999 | 23% |
| $100,000 or more | 6% |
| For adjuncts who were married or living with a partner |
| Less than $50,000 | 12% |
| $50,000 to $99,999 | 34% |
| $100,000 or more | 43% |
| |
| Level of career satisfaction |
| Very satisfied | 23% |
| Satisfied | 43% |
| Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied | 18% |
| Dissatisfied | 13% |
| Very dissatisfied | 3% |
| |
| Preferred faculty status |
| Tenure-track position | 50% |
| Full-time nontenure-track position | 11% |
| Adjunct position | 24% |
| Not sure | 15% |
Note: Data are based on an online survey of 502 adjunct faculty members working in all sectors of higher education. Respondents to the survey, which was conducted from May 14 to June 8, 2018, were selected from members of the Research Now online research panel. Survey responses were weighted by age, gender, and highest degree attained. Aside from being counted in the first detail on representation, professors of practice and retired tenured faculty members who worked part time not on the tenure track were excluded. The study also excluded two groups who are called adjuncts: clinical faculty members in professional schools, and tenured and tenure-track faculty members with courtesy appointments in other units. It also excluded graduate students. “Single” adjuncts include those who were divorced, separated, or widowed. Percentages may not add up to 100 because of rounding, because the percentages of those who did not respond to questions about income were omitted, and because the percentage of adjuncts who hadn’t taught a course in the previous semester was omitted. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to Ruth Hammond.
Source: 2018 Adjunct Faculty Survey, TIAA Institute
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