I worked as a full time adjunct professor for many years. I lived paycheck to paycheck only. Summer term means no guarranteed income. I had to take tutorial jobs to make ends meet. I have been out of the adjunct professor job for 5 years now. I am more financially stable (12 months guaranteed salary) plus I have health and retirement benefits. I love teaching but I have bills to pay.
@@lolfala101 I considered it full time because I was working in four different universities teaching a total of 24 hours in all 4 universities. For five years I did that, I had no benefits. I don't even have an office so I would have student consultation in the library. Now, I am working full time as a resident Biologist in a media company/ TV station. I am more financially secure now. I still teach part time on weekends just because I want to. I love teaching but the abuse to adjunct professors has to be broken. I am glad I did it.
Yep. Taught on a semester to semester contract at a community college for 5 years before my luck ran out (also had multiple jobs to make that work). I would agree with everything you have said here; if you don’t have a passion for what you are doing, forget it. It is basically volunteer work. And it is VERY rare these gigs ever lead to a full-time position mainly because, as you said, full-time positions are very rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Just know what you are getting yourself into and it is probably NOT a full-time career, or anything that is going to be sustainable for very long.
@dr.tonyalawson this was the same case in the 2000s 😂. My private tutoring was more lucrative so I 🤷 never applied to be an adjunct. Plus we had to pay for parking 😒 out of pocket. I can't believe 😪 that it's now 2023 and it's exactly 💯 the same situation STILL. I would have thought that especially professors who have a Ph.D. 😂 would fight fight fight for the better pay by now. Still...NO.
We're essentially in this same position, but my company isn't exactly the best to work for as well. We can still fall back on my military benefits as long as I'm in the ANG as a weekender, but I'm gonna try and make a career change to be able to work remotely so she doesn't have to possibly stress as much as a teacher. It's abysmal what position a lot of teachers find themselves in when they're one of the most important pillars in society.
This system seems INCREDIBLY dependent on women with husbands with really good jobs. Which is exactly what it sounds like with elementary ed teachers and people who work in childcare, too. It's all riding on the backs of women who almost have no choice but to rely on their husbands. What a messed-up system.
Wow! I'm surprised by this. I got my MBA in order to teach adjunct. However, this was more a retirement plan so when I don't have to work but want to I can.
I'm an adjunct at 3 universities, plus doing other occasional gigs on the side and I'm barely getting by despite living VERY cheaply. Our system is utterly broken.
The reason that many adjuncts, particularly adjuncts with PHD's, accept adjunct positions is because they believe that by having their foot in the door at a university, albeit as an adjunct initially, could potentially act as a path to receiving a full time salary offer at that same university. Of course receiving an offer is far from guaranteed, and it is rare nowadays to move from being an adjunct to a professor position at the same university. However, many adjuncts remain at a particular school in the hopes of eventually receiving a professorship offer.
That’s why I started in the first place. Eventually you discover that the university model is moving in the direction of replacing the jobs of retired professors with adjuncts.
@@dr.tonyalawson Yes, however depending on how many senior faculty professors retire within close proximity to one another, the university needs to have at least one or two actual full time salaried professors in the music department itself. Eventually, and of course who knows how long that would actually be, they will makie SOMEONE in the music department a salary full time offer to at least retain a minimum number of salaried professors in any particular department.
Here's the reality - students don't love learning as much as you love teaching. In fact, most students would rather just pay the money and be handed the degree if they could have their way. Therefore, the university realizes that they can cut teaching as long as their degree is valuable. Students will still fork over the money for just the degree itself. So what makes the degree valuable? Research and prestige of the teacher. It's the teacher's ability to convince society that the student knows what they are doing that counts.
@@dr.tonyalawson Having been a casual tutor at university here in Australia (equivalent to your adjunct professor), I would say that the kind of students you're referring to are very rare. And yes, universities here are no better than US universities when it comes to paying for teachers.
Since many schools don't pay into Social Security, many folks are going to be in dire financial straits trying to rely on teachers' retirement fund based on part-time employment. If a financial planning seminar was given to adjuncts with retirement earnings projections, you'd clean out the adjunct ranks pretty quick.
Interesting. In my area, they do pay into social security but offer no retirement benefits. It’s just understood that you are in charge of your own retirement.
@dr.tonyalawson It makes even less sense to adjunct here since Social security will offset against any other retirement "pension " you may have. Left adjuncting years ago and still playing catch up with SSI.
Hello. Those numbers for salary are RIDICULOUSLY and CRIMINALLY low. I am an adjunct professor of music with a PHD (DMA) in NYC and the numbers are definitely better but, even with those higher numbers you cannot sustain yourself with adjunct teaching. What you mentioned about teachiung only hybrid classes is very useful and makes a lot of sense. I do receive health benefits and it is a good package. NYC adjuncts also can pay into a retirement package.
I’m working towards my MA because I want it and because I want to adjunct. I’m a stay at home mom and most of my career is unpaid, so anything to add money while being at home is worth it to me. It’s really sad how badly paid professors are when students spend so much to be in the class.
Wow! I'm sorry this is happening to you :( Thank you for your courage in sharing your insights. This business practice is so exploitative. How do the tenured track teachers ( full, associate, assistant) react to that? If I saw a fellow part-time employee/ colleague doing the same kind of work as me--BUT instead living out of his car with no healthcare benefits or future prospects to advance...that would be upsetting, not to mention unethical if I didn't say something...have you tried unionizing?
He is what Adjuncts should be doing and that is going on strike because it is ridiculous that Adjuncts with Doctorate degrees are making less then fast food workers while the Universities are ripping off their students where a large portion of the country are in debt to student loans at an excessive amount right now. The reason why the universities get away with this crap is that Adjuncts are letting them by being willing to work for these low poverty wages devaluing their own salaries. On top of the fact that Professors are supposed to be an example of being smart and the smart thing to do is go on strike. Also if professors went on strike it would send the right message to students to also go on strike in their workplaces so they are not also getting poverty wages.
That is really low. The adjunct at the community college I work at gets paid $2500 a class each semester including summer. The maximum of classes you can teach is four classes each semester. Some adjuncts teach in two colleges, have other jobs or teach at a middle or high school. That's with a master's degree. I believe you get paid $3000 a class with a doctoral degree.
That’s definitely better than here, and we’re only allowed 3 classes a semester. 4 classes is a full time load and comes with a full time salary. So if you take that into consideration, it’s still a seriously underpaid position.
I am a little confused. Maybe the pay is different, but I earned $3,800 to teach one, 3-credit course for a semester. 3 × 3800 would be $11,400 per semester at 9 credits, $22,800 if two semesters. Maybe the online courses pay less than in-person?
No, at my University online and in person classes pay the same. The amount varies from University to university so yours must pay more, but $22,800 is still far too little!
Does being a professor give you credibility to be able to sell yourself in your other jobs? Is that how you can make it work? Would you make as much money in those other jobs without being a professor? Does it help you with your communication and sales skills to be an entrepreneur?
That is a really great question. I think it may have given me some credibility early in my career, but at this point my results provide all the credibility I need. As far as communication and sales skills, I think its exactly the opposite. Being an entrepreneur actually makes me a better professor!
No. When you are an adjunct, that tends to make you less marketable in other jobs. In fact, if you are an adjunct for too long, it reduces your prospects of becoming a full time professor anywhere. Facts.
That's terrible. A lot of blood, sweat, tears and money to achieve your personal dream and get the degrees to help others achieve their dream - for a mere pittance. I'm so sorry for all adjunct profs. 😢❤💐
Good morning beautiful professor .hope you are doing well. My name is Tha'ir from Iraq.I am sure you are amazing person because you don't put all your eggs in one basket.however , can an expatriate professor earn or get the same salary as a native professor as to speak, ?? And Can he work as a Freelancer such as SEO specialist or ui ux designer or web developer or they might be teaching their native language for Americans?? And so on so forth .thank you a million in advance.
What is it that keeps adjunct professors coming back to teach? I dont understand. Is this why it seem as if they do not want to be teaching my online classes? I dont understand why this is tolerated.
That’s such a great question! Many adjuncts are led to believe that paying their dues as an adjunct will lead to a full time job (not true). It’s also most likely that they WANT to be teaching you, but are also working 2 other jobs just to make rent so their time is limited. If you think about it from the University’s perspective, why would they spend 4x as much on a full time faculty member when they have easy access to cheap labor.
That's more than some other universities pay for engineering and computer science adjuncts, live courses on campus. You're doing this asynchronous, for less hours, count your blessings. Oh, and some of us have to pay for parking...
There are too many of you! This is why you make so little money. Find another job please, or at a minimum please stop complaining about pay or tenure. The universities have spoken, they don't want you as part of the permanent team.
*You are wrong. Colleges and universities want part time instructors more than full time instructors because they save a lot of money. Over 50% of classes are now taught by part-time instructors. As an added treat, the administrations can be more abusive with adjuncts than they can with full time/tenured faculty. Facts*
Actually, universities DO want adjuncts. They are cheap labor. I teach because I love it and it is side income for me. I run my own business as my full time job. The problem lies with younger adjuncts who falsely believe that it is going to eventually turn into a full time job. That’s why I made this video in the first place. To educate.
@@dr.tonyalawsonyes! We're being lied to!!!! I know countless adjuncts who were hoping to be hired on as full-time time...and after 14 years of being adjunct still were passed over! 😢 I feel bad for those who have been mislead 😕 😖 😣.
Uzbekistan. I am a university full time professor, and I get only 7000$ for 800 academic hour load yearly. Yes 7000$ not 70000$!!! I pay for my rent 4000$ and barely survive here.
![SAFEPLANET - ดาวเคราะห์ [ THE PLANET ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4X1XL3I_k3c/mqdefault.jpg)
I worked as a full time adjunct professor for many years. I lived paycheck to paycheck only. Summer term means no guarranteed income. I had to take tutorial jobs to make ends meet. I have been out of the adjunct professor job for 5 years now. I am more financially stable (12 months guaranteed salary) plus I have health and retirement benefits.
I love teaching but I have bills to pay.
at least your full time
@@lolfala101 I considered it full time because I was working in four different universities teaching a total of 24 hours in all 4 universities. For five years I did that, I had no benefits. I don't even have an office so I would have student consultation in the library. Now, I am working full time as a resident Biologist in a media company/ TV station. I am more financially secure now. I still teach part time on weekends just because I want to. I love teaching but the abuse to adjunct professors has to be broken. I am glad I did it.
Is it really true, do teachers make that little Money?
@@ewncilo yes compared to other industry
I thought the definition of adjunct professor was someone who was not a full-time employee...?
Yep. Taught on a semester to semester contract at a community college for 5 years before my luck ran out (also had multiple jobs to make that work). I would agree with everything you have said here; if you don’t have a passion for what you are doing, forget it. It is basically volunteer work. And it is VERY rare these gigs ever lead to a full-time position mainly because, as you said, full-time positions are very rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Just know what you are getting yourself into and it is probably NOT a full-time career, or anything that is going to be sustainable for very long.
This is 100% correct! I hate that younger adjuncts are still led to believe it will turn into a full time job.
Thank you so much for sharing! I really do appreciate your transparency! Our adjunct professors work so hard! We appreciate you all!
Adjunct Instructors/Professors make less than McDonald's workers. Facts.
Sadly, this is 100% true.
@dr.tonyalawson this was the same case in the 2000s 😂. My private tutoring was more lucrative so I 🤷 never applied to be an adjunct. Plus we had to pay for parking 😒 out of pocket. I can't believe 😪 that it's now
2023 and it's exactly 💯 the same situation STILL. I would have thought that especially professors who have a
Ph.D. 😂 would fight fight fight for the better pay by now. Still...NO.
I have been an adjunct for 10 years! Thank goodness I have a husband with a great job and health insurance 🎉
We're essentially in this same position, but my company isn't exactly the best to work for as well. We can still fall back on my military benefits as long as I'm in the ANG as a weekender, but I'm gonna try and make a career change to be able to work remotely so she doesn't have to possibly stress as much as a teacher. It's abysmal what position a lot of teachers find themselves in when they're one of the most important pillars in society.
This system seems INCREDIBLY dependent on women with husbands with really good jobs. Which is exactly what it sounds like with elementary ed teachers and people who work in childcare, too. It's all riding on the backs of women who almost have no choice but to rely on their husbands. What a messed-up system.
Being an adjunct should
Only be considered a “‘side gig “……this is not a livable wage!
this was fascinating. YOu're a super entrepreneurial lady making a decent living out of field that you love that is super competitive
Thank you. Very informative.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found it helpful!
She got me at “depending on where you live that might seem like a lot of money”. This is in reference to $14k.
Um.
I meant depending on which country you live in. In some countries $14k is a lot.
Good and informative video! Thank you!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for your transparency. Very informative
I'm so glad it was helpful!
Wow! I'm surprised by this. I got my MBA in order to teach adjunct. However, this was more a retirement plan so when I don't have to work but want to I can.
I'm an adjunct at 3 universities, plus doing other occasional gigs on the side and I'm barely getting by despite living VERY cheaply. Our system is utterly broken.
100%. That’s why I recommend ALL adjuncts have a diverse income portfolio with multiple passive income streams.
The adjunct faculty pay is outrageous.
The reason that many adjuncts, particularly adjuncts with PHD's, accept adjunct positions is because they believe that by having their foot in the door at a university, albeit as an adjunct initially, could potentially act as a path to receiving a full time salary offer at that same university. Of course receiving an offer is far from guaranteed, and it is rare nowadays to move from being an adjunct to a professor position at the same university. However, many adjuncts remain at a particular school in the hopes of eventually receiving a professorship offer.
That’s why I started in the first place. Eventually you discover that the university model is moving in the direction of replacing the jobs of retired professors with adjuncts.
@@dr.tonyalawson Yes, however depending on how many senior faculty professors retire within close proximity to one another, the university needs to have at least one or two actual full time salaried professors in the music department itself. Eventually, and of course who knows how long that would actually be, they will makie SOMEONE in the music department a salary full time offer to at least retain a minimum number of salaried professors in any particular department.
Here's the reality - students don't love learning as much as you love teaching. In fact, most students would rather just pay the money and be handed the degree if they could have their way. Therefore, the university realizes that they can cut teaching as long as their degree is valuable. Students will still fork over the money for just the degree itself. So what makes the degree valuable? Research and prestige of the teacher. It's the teacher's ability to convince society that the student knows what they are doing that counts.
That’s an interesting outlook. I think that is definitely the case with some students, but not all of them.
@@dr.tonyalawson Having been a casual tutor at university here in Australia (equivalent to your adjunct professor), I would say that the kind of students you're referring to are very rare. And yes, universities here are no better than US universities when it comes to paying for teachers.
Since many schools don't pay into Social Security, many folks are going to be in dire financial straits trying to rely on teachers' retirement fund based on part-time employment. If a financial planning seminar was given to adjuncts with retirement earnings projections, you'd clean out the adjunct ranks pretty quick.
Interesting. In my area, they do pay into social security but offer no retirement benefits. It’s just understood that you are in charge of your own retirement.
@dr.tonyalawson It makes even less sense to adjunct here since Social security will offset against any other retirement "pension " you may have. Left adjuncting years ago and still playing catch up with SSI.
Hello. Those numbers for salary are RIDICULOUSLY and CRIMINALLY low. I am an adjunct professor of music with a PHD (DMA) in NYC and the numbers are definitely better but, even with those higher numbers you cannot sustain yourself with adjunct teaching. What you mentioned about teachiung only hybrid classes is very useful and makes a lot of sense. I do receive health benefits and it is a good package. NYC adjuncts also can pay into a retirement package.
Having benefits and the option to pay into retirement is definitely a bonus. What’s your DMA in? Mine is in Clarinet!
I’m working towards my MA because I want it and because I want to adjunct. I’m a stay at home mom and most of my career is unpaid, so anything to add money while being at home is worth it to me. It’s really sad how badly paid professors are when students spend so much to be in the class.
Awesome!
Wow! I'm sorry this is happening to you :( Thank you for your courage in sharing your insights. This business practice is so exploitative. How do the tenured track teachers ( full, associate, assistant) react to that? If I saw a fellow part-time employee/ colleague doing the same kind of work as me--BUT instead living out of his car with no healthcare benefits or future prospects to advance...that would be upsetting, not to mention unethical if I didn't say something...have you tried unionizing?
He is what Adjuncts should be doing and that is going on strike because it is ridiculous that Adjuncts with Doctorate degrees are making less then fast food workers while the Universities are ripping off their students where a large portion of the country are in debt to student loans at an excessive amount right now. The reason why the universities get away with this crap is that Adjuncts are letting them by being willing to work for these low poverty wages devaluing their own salaries. On top of the fact that Professors are supposed to be an example of being smart and the smart thing to do is go on strike. Also if professors went on strike it would send the right message to students to also go on strike in their workplaces so they are not also getting poverty wages.
That is really low. The adjunct at the community college I work at gets paid $2500 a class each semester including summer. The maximum of classes you can teach is four classes each semester. Some adjuncts teach in two colleges, have other jobs or teach at a middle or high school. That's with a master's degree. I believe you get paid $3000 a class with a doctoral degree.
That’s definitely better than here, and we’re only allowed 3 classes a semester. 4 classes is a full time load and comes with a full time salary. So if you take that into consideration, it’s still a seriously underpaid position.
I am a little confused. Maybe the pay is different, but I earned $3,800 to teach one, 3-credit course for a semester. 3 × 3800 would be $11,400 per semester at 9 credits, $22,800 if two semesters. Maybe the online courses pay less than in-person?
No, at my University online and in person classes pay the same. The amount varies from University to university so yours must pay more, but $22,800 is still far too little!
Does being a professor give you credibility to be able to sell yourself in your other jobs? Is that how you can make it work? Would you make as much money in those other jobs without being a professor? Does it help you with your communication and sales skills to be an entrepreneur?
That is a really great question. I think it may have given me some credibility early in my career, but at this point my results provide all the credibility I need. As far as communication and sales skills, I think its exactly the opposite. Being an entrepreneur actually makes me a better professor!
No. When you are an adjunct, that tends to make you less marketable in other jobs. In fact, if you are an adjunct for too long, it reduces your prospects of becoming a full time professor anywhere. Facts.
That's terrible. A lot of blood, sweat, tears and money to achieve your personal dream and get the degrees to help others achieve their dream - for a mere pittance. I'm so sorry for all adjunct profs. 😢❤💐
Good morning beautiful professor .hope you are doing well. My name is Tha'ir from Iraq.I am sure you are amazing person because you don't put all your eggs in one basket.however , can an expatriate professor earn or get the same salary as a native professor as to speak, ?? And Can he work as a Freelancer such as SEO specialist or ui ux designer or web developer or they might be teaching their native language for Americans?? And so on so forth .thank you a million in advance.
What is it that keeps adjunct professors coming back to teach? I dont understand. Is this why it seem as if they do not want to be teaching my online classes? I dont understand why this is tolerated.
That’s such a great question! Many adjuncts are led to believe that paying their dues as an adjunct will lead to a full time job (not true). It’s also most likely that they WANT to be teaching you, but are also working 2 other jobs just to make rent so their time is limited.
If you think about it from the University’s perspective, why would they spend 4x as much on a full time faculty member when they have easy access to cheap labor.
A doctorate in Clarinet Performance; that is new.
That's more than some other universities pay for engineering and computer science adjuncts, live courses on campus. You're doing this asynchronous, for less hours, count your blessings. Oh, and some of us have to pay for parking...
I totally get it. I started on campus. I wouldn’t do it anymore. Asynchronous is the only reason I’m still an adjunct.
There are too many of you! This is why you make so little money. Find another job please, or at a minimum please stop complaining about pay or tenure. The universities have spoken, they don't want you as part of the permanent team.
*You are wrong. Colleges and universities want part time instructors more than full time instructors because they save a lot of money. Over 50% of classes are now taught by part-time instructors. As an added treat, the administrations can be more abusive with adjuncts than they can with full time/tenured faculty. Facts*
Actually, universities DO want adjuncts. They are cheap labor. I teach because I love it and it is side income for me. I run my own business as my full time job. The problem lies with younger adjuncts who falsely believe that it is going to eventually turn into a full time job. That’s why I made this video in the first place. To educate.
100% correct! And so many young adjuncts are led to believe that it will turn into a full time job.
@@dr.tonyalawsonyes! We're being lied to!!!! I know countless adjuncts who were hoping to be hired on as full-time time...and after 14 years of being adjunct still were passed over! 😢
I feel bad for those who have been mislead 😕 😖 😣.
Sounds like "someone" should have been working on her Mrs. degree.
Uzbekistan. I am a university full time professor, and I get only 7000$ for 800 academic hour load yearly. Yes 7000$ not 70000$!!! I pay for my rent 4000$ and barely survive here.
Wow! That’s rough. Education needs to be better valued.