Lecturer vs Professor: Differences, Duties, Salary

Lecturer vs Professor: Lecturer is a part-time teacher in a university for a specific period and subject, while professors are full-time teachers. Students require a master's degree in a particular field to become a lecturer, while a professor's job requires a PhD qualification with UGC NET certification.

In between lecturer and professor, a lecturer is an entry-level position while a professor is an experienced lecturer in a university. A lecturer is responsible for teaching, mentoring, guiding, and assisting and has other responsibilities. At the same time, a processor is only responsible for delivering lectures on a research-based subject in a university classroom.

Table of Contents

• What is a Lecturer?
• What is a Professor?
• Differences Between Lecturer vs Professor
• Academic Rank of a Lecturer vs Professor
• Salary of a Lecturer vs Professor
• Career Growth of a Lecturer vs Professor

What is a Lecturer?

Lecturers instruct in colleges as much as professors, but they teach both undergraduate and graduate students. The requirement of a Ph.D. or Master's degree is not necessary in this job role. Lecturers only require essential training, professional experience, or subject knowledge. The Lecturer's job is a yearly contract-based job.

Their work often requires little to no service or research responsibilities. Besides, they can simultaneously pursue other professions or interests. Typically, lecturers work part-time at the college or institution they are assigned to, and they may also have outside interests, such as a day job, a business venture, or even a Master's degree.

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Job Duties of a Lecturer

In between the Lecturer and professor, a lecturer's duties involve various tasks apart from teaching, like organising campaigns, listening to students' queries, etc. Below are some typical job duties that a lecturer has to do as part of their job:

• Lecturers apply learning from their field to classroom lessons and exercises.
• They have to prepare lecture content, including presentations and projects.
• Lecturers have to conduct lectures on specific topics in a classroom.
• They have to teach one particular subject or class multiple times in a semester.
• If a lecturer has an additional job role, they have to meet the expectations of that job daily after this job.
• They have to host special non-classroom lectures for weak students that require extra time and effort.

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What is a Professor?

A professor is a full-time lecturer who instructs undergraduate and graduate students in their fields of expertise at colleges and universities. In between lecturers vs professors, professors carry out research to advance in their career field.

They publish research reports and results in their domain by utilising various resources in their research. Academic institutions will pick lecturers based on their proficient merit and subject expertise. Non-tenure or temporary professors are recruited for a period of one to three years and are offered a permanent position after five to seven years.

Job Duties of a Professor

Among lecturers vs professors, a professor is more inclined towards research rather than being focused on a subject curriculum. Below are some job duties that a professor typically has:

• Teaching classroom lessons and interactive activities with students can assist in learning.
• Designing and teaching numerous courses throughout the year
• Maintaining office hours for learners to attend and ask queries
• Advising learners on their class schedules and educational progress during their course
• Professors have to grade assignments, tests and papers from time to time.
• They are organising programs and introducing new courses as part of administration duties and department dutiesOrganizing programs and introducing new techniques as part of administration duties and department duties.

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Differences Between Lecturer vs Professor

There are significant differences between Lecturer vs professor job profiles where the former is more involved with students and lectures, and the latter is more research-oriented. Candidates can find the Lecturer vs professor job role differences stated below.

Differences between Lecturer vs Professor

Particulars	Lecturer	Professor
Rank	Lecturer in the least-ranking teaching role at a university.	A professor is the second highest-ranking role in a university.
Level of Instruction	The Lecturer commonly teaches at the undergraduate level.	The professor teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate.
Duties	The Lecturer does not take part in executive and managerial tasks at the universities.	A professor usually takes part in administrative & managerial tasks in the university apart from teaching.
Experience	Lecturers have no less experience compared to professors.	Professors are experienced professionals in the educational field.
Work Tenure	Lecturers have yearly work tenures that are usually contract-based jobs..	Professors may have contract-based work tenure of at least five years or a permanent job role.
Recognition and Rewards	Lecturers have less scope of getting recognition and rewards as they are entry-level professionals.	Professors have a vast scope of being recognised and rewarded for their research papers by the university and the government.
Salary & Benefits	Lectures have less salary starting from INR 80,000 at least.	Professors have a high salary that ranges from INR 1 L to INR 5 L based on their skills and experience.

Also Check: How to Become a Professor in 2023? Complete Career Guide

Academic Rank of a Lecturer vs Professor

In between Lecturer and professor, a lecturer is an entry-level job role that doesn't require any prior experience. In contrast, a professor job role requires a minimum of 2 years of teaching experience. Candidates can find the academic rank difference between Lecturer and professor stated below.

Lecturers have the lowest academic rank at level seven when they join any university. It happens due to their part-time or contract standing with the educational institution. Lecturers may also have a standard position because they don't usually partake in research or do research for their institution.

In contrast, a professor is the second-highest academic rank in a university. A full-time professor has published scholarly work, earned recognition within the academic community, and earned a postgraduate Diploma (PhD) to qualify for the job role with a proven track record of research papers.

Usually, professors have tenure, demonstrating their dedication to the field and the vast knowledge in their expertise. There are various university rankings for the professor job role, and assistant professors usually assist experienced professors. Assistant professors are less experienced individuals who have just started university teaching.

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Salary of a Lecturer vs Professor

In between Lecturer vs professor, a lecturer receives a lower payout and has less to no benefits, while a payscale of a professor is higher, and they receive more benefits. Students can find the salary differences between lecturers and professors given below. Lecturers often work an additional position as a side hustle or just for passion, so it doesn't mean they have higher salaries.

It is a varying situation as they are usually part-timers in a university. Based on the 7th Central Pay Commission, the salary of an Indian lecturer with zero experience is INR 57,700. Despite this, compensation can vary depending on qualifications, experience, and the pay scale of the institution.

Professors have an opportunity to perform, get recognised and be internally promoted to further strata in a university. Additionally, these numbers can vary based on a professional's level of education and location, as well as an institution's policy.

Based on the 7th Central Pay Commission, the salary of an Indian professor varies from INR 1 L to INR 5 L based on their professional expertise. Apart from the salary, they may also receive additional allowances, research grants, funding, etc.

Career Growth of a Lecturer vs Professor

In between a lecturer vs professor, a professor has more fast-paced career growth opportunities while a lecturer has slow career growth. This is because a professor is more likely to be recognised for their work and contributions in a university than a lecturer who has just started their career.

Lecturers may have more flexibility but less growth in mobility and exploring opportunities in various institutions. Contractual or temporary positions allow them to pursue jobs at multiple universities or transition to other careers.

Professors are experienced professionals and have a permanent job role at a specific institution. Due to this, they have less flexibility but more growth due to their work. Nevertheless, they may be able to collaborate with other institutions, attend conferences, and engage in international research collaborations.