Community College Teachers vs. Professors: Exploring the Differences

Teachers and professors play vital roles in shaping students' lives, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary for academic success and beyond. Both professions contribute significantly to students' development as independent, thriving, and productive individuals. However, distinct differences exist between teachers and professors, encompassing educational requirements, job responsibilities, student populations, and average salaries.

Defining Teachers and Professors

A teacher typically works within a K-12 school system, possessing specialized training to educate students of a particular age group, grade level, or academic subject. Teachers of younger students focus on foundational skills across multiple subjects while fostering self-discipline and interpersonal abilities. As students advance, teachers often specialize in a specific subject, providing more targeted instruction.

A professor, on the other hand, is a postsecondary educator at a college or university. They often hold a Ph.D. in a specialized academic field, concentrating their teaching and research on that subject. Professors instruct undergraduate and graduate students, providing education crucial for their future careers and independent lives. They may also teach students in professional certification programs. Professors can be tenure-track (holding permanent positions) or adjunct (part-time, contractual) and may also include visiting professors (temporary teaching/research positions) and clinical professors.

Work Setting and Student Population

The primary distinction lies in the work environment and the students served. Teachers work with children and teenagers in K-12 schools, whereas professors educate older teens and adults in colleges and universities.

Teacher Responsibilities

Teachers' responsibilities evolve as students progress from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Early childhood educators provide general instruction in foundational skills like reading, writing, and basic math, alongside guidance in responsible behavior. As students mature, teachers offer more in-depth instruction in specific academic areas. K-12 teachers also maintain close communication with parents or guardians regarding students' academic and behavioral progress and challenges. Teachers in K-12 settings also communicate closely with students’ parents or guardians about academic and behavioral successes and challenges.

Read also: About Grossmont Community College

Teachers aren’t just focused on their students’ academic success; instead, they must often deal with issues that affect their students’ mental, social, and physical well-being. Bullying, neglect/abuse in the home, hormonal changes, physical/mental disorders, behavioral problems…all of that must be on a teacher’s radar. And in school districts where poverty and violence are the norm, teachers must consider the many issues that may affect their students’ ability to learn. For most teachers, it’s not just about teaching - it’s about ensuring their students have what they need to learn and removing/remediating potential roadblocks to the learning process. It’s an emotionally draining undertaking, but for passionate teachers who spend their careers fighting to ensure every student is a success story, it’s incredibly rewarding.

Teachers must also meet specific curriculum requirements, ensure their students are meeting standardized test requirements, adapt instruction to reach students of varying abilities, and plan their day around a rigid schedule. In fact, teachers must usually account for nearly every minute of their day. Teaching class is just one aspect of their daily schedule. Taking your turn on lunch duty, participating in parent conferences and IEP meetings, monitoring the detention room-expect every part of your day to be accounted for.

Professor Responsibilities

At the college and university level, professors teach courses aligned with their expertise and research. As a professor, you may spend just a few hours each week lecturing, but you’ll be engaged in many academic activities throughout the week, such as supervising undergraduate or graduate student research, writing articles in academic journals, running laboratory experiments, and meeting with students. They develop their own curriculum, assignments, and exams, and administer virtual platforms for accessing course materials. Unlike teachers, who may conduct research while pursuing a degree, professors actively contribute to their fields through ongoing research, enhancing their institution's intellectual reputation.

Educational Requirements: A Matter of Depth

Teachers at the K-12 level typically need a bachelor's degree in education, encompassing elementary, middle level, or secondary education. Supervised student teaching hours are a mandatory component of accredited education programs. Teacher certification is essential, with requirements varying by state, necessitating consultation with the state's board of education. For example, in Pennsylvania, a Level I teaching certificate is valid for six years, requiring application for a Level II certificate before expiration. Level II certifications are permanently valid, contingent on completing continuing professional education every five years.

Professors require advanced graduate education, reflecting the expertise needed for college and university instruction. While a master's degree is generally sufficient for two-year colleges and adjunct positions, tenure-track positions at four-year institutions usually demand a Ph.D., a doctoral dissertation, and demonstrated scholarship. Post-doctoral positions, involving research, publishing, and teaching, are crucial for those seeking tenure-track positions. Unlike teachers, professors do not need student teaching or state certification, but they often hold assistant or associate professor positions before achieving tenure.

The Learning Environment: Nurturing vs. Exploring

One of the starkest differences between teachers and professors is the environment in which they teach. The best way to describe these differences is this: K-12 is a teaching environment, whereas college is a learning environment. The years leading up to high school graduation are spent teaching children skills and proficiencies. Beyond high school, students are engaged in scholarship, which involves a deeper consideration of what they’ve learned and how they will apply it.

In the halls of higher education, the culture is dramatically different. Students are willing participants in the learning process. They’re adults who made the decision to pursue higher education, so they’re committed and engaged.

Work Environment: Classrooms, Offices, and Flexibility

Teachers in K-12 settings typically have a dedicated classroom, personalized for their students. In elementary schools, students usually spend their entire day in one classroom with their lead teacher. In middle and high schools, teachers specialize in specific subjects, instructing rotating groups of students throughout the day. The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the adoption of online learning tools, integrating virtual classrooms into the educational landscape.

Professors at colleges and universities typically have offices for grading, meetings, and other work. Teaching occurs in assigned rooms across campus, and professors may also have lab or research spaces. Professors often have flexible teaching hours, especially as they advance in their careers, choosing class days and times and enjoying the same holidays and breaks as students.

Salary Expectations: Earning Potential

On average, teachers earn approximately $61,000 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries vary based on location, grade level, education, and experience. Teachers with master's degrees and extensive experience typically earn more than those with bachelor's degrees and less seniority.

Professors generally earn more, with an average salary of $79,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries depend on the field of study, rank, public vs. private institution, and institutional prestige. Tenured faculty earn significantly more than adjunct faculty, and professors at esteemed private universities typically earn more than those at public two-year colleges.

Salaries for both teachers and professors can and do vary widely. You could be a brand-new teacher working in a high needs school district in a socioeconomically challenged area or an adjunct professor with a part-time schedule and struggle to make ends meet, or you could be an experienced, National Board Certified Teacher or tenured professor and enjoy a salary that tops the salary scale.

In general, professors make about $20,000 more, on average, than teachers, although a number of factors influence what both educators earn.

As of May 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the following median salaries for teachers and professors, according to grade level/setting:

Elementary school teachers: $59,420
Middle school teachers: $59,660
High school teachers: $61,660
Postsecondary teachers, junior colleges (local): $82,850
Postsecondary teachers, junior colleges (state): $61,430
Postsecondary teachers, colleges, universities and professional schools (state): $80,960
Postsecondary teachers, colleges, universities and professional schools (private): $80,760

But these median salaries don’t tell the whole story of what you’ll earn as a teacher or professor, as a number of factors affect what both teachers and professors can expect to earn:

Factors Affecting K-12 Teacher Salaries

Teacher salaries are heavily influenced by degree level, National Board Certification, and experience. Of course, teacher salaries increase according to their years of experience, with most school districts employing a “step” salary schedule that recognizes higher salaries as teachers gain teaching experience.

And while a bachelor’s degree remains the minumum educational requirement for state licensure as a teacher, teachers with graduate degrees are often rewarded with higher salaries. For example, about one-third of all states recognize advanced licenses and higher salaries for those who earn a master’s degree or higher.

And even among states without advanced licenses for teachers, nearly all offer higher salaries for those who hold graduate degrees over bachelor’s degrees. A 2019 National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) study of 124 large school districts found that 92% of all districts paid their teachers more for holding an advanced degree.

According to the NCTQ, teachers with a master’s degree earn an average of $5,285 more annually than teachers with a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree, which equates to about $160,000 more than a bachelor’s-prepared teacher over the course of a career.

Similarly, National Board Certification equates to a significant pay increase in about half the states. Most states pay National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) an annual stipend for holding this national credential. It’s also common among those states offering an annual stipend for NBCTs to offer an even higher stipend for NBCTs working in high-poverty/high-needs districts.

For example, NBCTS in Alabama earn a $5,000 annual stipend, while NBCTs working in high-needs areas earn a $10,000 annual stipend.

Factors Affecting College Professor Salaries

Postsecondary setting and title are the major factors affecting professor salaries.

Job Outlook: Growing Demand

The job outlook for teachers is around the national average for all occupations, with the number of jobs expected to increase by 4% by 2031, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With an increasing turnover rate and post-COVID-19 teacher shortage, there is a demand for qualified and committed educators. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of professor positions will increase by 12% by 2031, which is faster than the national average. The need for professors is growing faster in some fields than in others. For example, because of the nation’s aging population, there is a higher need for educated healthcare professionals, and so the job outlook is strongest among professors of nursing and health specialties.

Stepping Stones to Becoming a Professor

After earning your PhD, you’ll become a postdoctoral researcher/fellow/scholar, where you’ll continue your training and begin the process of transitioning from student to either researcher or educator. If you’re chosen for tenure track, you’ll begin the path to a permanent professor position within the college/university and earn the title of assistant professor. During this time, you’ll teach courses and serve as an active researcher and scholar in your field. Once you’ve been granted tenure - usually about 5-7 years after serving as an assistant professor - you’ll gain the title of associate professor. After about 5-7 years as an associate professor, during which time you’ll work to establish yourself as a leader in your field, you’ll go through a review to reach the rank of tenured professor, an indefinite academic appointment.

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