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Part Time Adjunct Professor Jobs in Bellingham, WA

Part Time Adjunct Professor information

See Bellingham, WA salary details

$29

$70

$81

How much do part time adjunct professor jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 7, 2026, the average hourly pay for part time adjunct professor in Bellingham, WA is $70.22, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $69.47 and $72.69 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a part time adjunct professor?

A part time adjunct professor is a faculty member who teaches courses at a college or university on a contractual, non-tenure track basis, usually for a limited number of classes per semester. Unlike full-time professors, adjuncts typically do not have research or administrative responsibilities and may work at multiple institutions. Their positions are often temporary, and their primary role is to instruct students and develop course materials. Many adjunct professors are professionals in their fields, bringing real-world experience to the classroom. This role offers flexibility but usually comes with fewer benefits and lower pay compared to full-time faculty.

What does a part time adjunct professor do?

A part-time adjunct professor teaches at a college or university on a contract basis. These positions do not have a full professor workload, and contracts must be renewed every semester or year. Your responsibilities as a part-time adjunct professor are similar to those of a full-time professor; you outline a syllabus for each of your classes, conduct lesson plans, assess student performance, assign papers or projects, and administer and grade exams. Though you may publish articles and conduct research, it is not required for your position. Adjunct professors are non-tenure-track faculty members, though they may obtain a full-time, tenure-track position after teaching for several years.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a part time adjunct professor, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Part Time Adjunct Professor, you typically need a relevant advanced degree (often a master's or doctorate) and expertise in your subject area. Familiarity with learning management systems (such as Canvas or Blackboard) and online teaching tools is important for course delivery and student engagement. Excellent communication, time management, and adaptability help foster a positive learning environment and balance diverse responsibilities. These skills ensure effective teaching, student success, and the ability to meet institutional expectations in a flexible, part-time capacity.

How does a part time adjunct professor typically balance teaching responsibilities with other professional commitments?

Part-time adjunct professors often juggle multiple professional roles, such as teaching at different institutions or working in their field of expertise alongside their academic duties. To manage this, adjuncts must be highly organized, carefully planning their course preparation, grading, and student communication to fit within a flexible, often variable schedule. Many institutions offer resources such as shared office space and online platforms to facilitate remote work and collaboration with colleagues. Open communication with department heads and proactive time management are key strategies adjuncts use to handle these challenges while maintaining a positive classroom experience.

What is the difference between Part Time Adjunct Professor vs Part Time Lecturer?

AspectPart Time Adjunct ProfessorPart Time Lecturer
Required CredentialsMaster's degree or higher, often with teaching experienceMaster's degree, sometimes with less emphasis on research or credentials
Work EnvironmentCollege or university classrooms, often involved in curriculum developmentLecture-based teaching, often focused on delivering course content
Employer & Industry UsagePrimarily in higher education institutions, used for specialized or part-time teaching rolesCommon in colleges and universities, often interchangeable with adjunct roles

Part Time Adjunct Professors and Part Time Lecturers both teach in higher education settings and typically hold at least a master's degree. Adjunct Professors may be more involved in curriculum development and student engagement, while Lecturers focus mainly on delivering lectures. Both roles are part-time, contract-based, and serve to support academic programs.

Can you make money as a part time adjunct professor?

Part time adjunct professors typically earn hourly wages or per-course stipends, which can vary widely depending on the institution, subject, and location. While some adjuncts earn a supplementary income, the pay is often modest compared to full-time faculty salaries, and workload can include grading, office hours, and curriculum preparation.

How to get hired as a part time adjunct professor?

To become a part-time adjunct professor, candidates typically need a master's degree or higher in the relevant field, along with teaching experience or expertise. Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and transcripts to the hiring institution, and may need to undergo an interview or demonstration of teaching skills. Familiarity with academic policies and the ability to work flexible hours are also important factors in the hiring process.

What job categories do people searching Part Time Adjunct Professor jobs in Bellingham, WA look for?

The top searched job categories for Part Time Adjunct Professor jobs in Bellingham, WA are:

What cities near Bellingham, WA are hiring for Part Time Adjunct Professor jobs?

Cities near Bellingham, WA with the most Part Time Adjunct Professor job openings:

Infographic showing various Part Time Adjunct Professor job openings in Bellingham, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 38% Full Time, 60% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $146,061 per year, or $70.2 per hour.

Institute for Energy Studies - Non-Tenure Track Faculty Vacancy Pool

Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA • On-site

$1.8K - $2.6K/wk

Full-time, Part-time

Re-posted 16 days ago


Western Washington University rating

7.6

Company rating: 7.6 out of 10

Based on 18 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

293rd of 631 rated colleges and universities


Job description

Institute for Energy Studies - Non-Tenure Track Faculty Vacancy Pool
Work type: NTT Faculty
Location: Bellingham, WA
Categories: Academic Affairs
Position Title Institute for Energy Studies - Non-Tenure Track Faculty Vacancy Pool
About the University
Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.
Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.
About the Department
The Institute for Energy Studies (IES) is a multi-college collaboration at WWU, which is designed to meet growing demand, from students and from Washington's growing clean energy economy, for interdisciplinary education related to the science, technology, policy and business aspects of human conversion and use of energy. Our energy programs are designed to provide both breadth and depth, with a practical toolkit of technical and analytic skills from classroom and experiential learning.
The IES academic program is unique in the country in offering undergraduate degrees that directly address key energy/climate challenges and their solutions, via hands-on experiential learning, such as our "Campus as a Lab" initiative, preparing graduates to hit the ground running as practitioners and leaders of a clean energy transition. Through efforts of the IES, WWU was named one of only twelve institutions globally by the U.S. Dept. of Energy for their first-ever Zero Energy Design Designation.
The Institute for Energy Studies supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from under-represented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity.
About the Position
The Institute for Energy Studies maintains a vacancy pool of qualified persons interested in temporary, non-tenure-track teaching positions. The positions are usually part-time, with occasional opportunities for full-time appointments. Positions may become available at any time and are typically filled on a quarterly basis.
The Institute and the University value teaching and seek exemplary teachers who are current in their field, who will actively engage students in their own learning, and who will follow University guidelines regarding course objectives, content, instructional format, and level of challenge. We seek individuals with teaching interests in fields relevant to the clean energy transition to a decarbonized Northwest energy system, such as energy efficiency, energy system science, net-zero/low-carbon energy planning and management, local energy/climate policies and strategies, enterprise energy management, or urban/community energy planning. We expect students to be given feedback on their course work and examinations, and that adjunct faculty members will be available to students through regularly scheduled office hours.
Required Qualifications • Bachelor's degree in a related discipline
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse students, faculty and staff, and commitment to cultivating learning environments that are equitable and inclusive of students with diverse social identities and backgrounds
Preferred Qualifications • Recent, relevant industry or government experience
• Master's degree or higher in a related discipline
• Successful teaching experience
Conditions of Employment All employees must comply with our Immunization policies, including Proof of Rubeola Measles Immunity within 60-days of hire. Please reach out to HR@wwu.edu if you need information regarding medical or religious exemption and applicable accommodations.
Salary
$1,800-$2,600 per credit, commensurate with experience and qualifications
Benefits Information Benefits Overview for Faculty Positions
Bargaining Unit
United Faculty of Western Washington
Application Instructions
A cover letter and curriculum vitae are required and should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications. Please also note courses (existing and proposed) you would be most qualified to teach. You may wish to consult our program and course offerings at https://energy.wwu.edu
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire. Employment-based visa sponsorship may be considered depending on the candidate's current immigration status; however, the University is unable to sponsor new H1B petitions or cover associated filing or processing fees at this time.
Required Supplemental Materials
Please provide contact information for three references.
Closing Date Notes
This vacancy pool is refreshed annually; please see applicable close date information below (open continuously until December 31 of each year). Applicants who continue to remain interested in being considered for on-going opportunities should re-submit updated materials to the new pool, once posted.
Applications are accepted continuously for potential NTT faculty openings; please apply at your earliest convenience. Vacancy pool closes no later than December 31, 2026.
Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with applicable laws, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, citizenship or immigration status, pregnancy, use of protective leave, genetic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, creed, religion, veteran or military status, disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU's Policies on Prohibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu
WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of Student Life at student.life@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.
All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires and rehires, which includes a sexual misconduct background check.
Job no: 502860
Advertised: Dec 18 2025 09:00 Pacific Standard Time
Applications close: Dec 31 2026 23:55 Pacific Standard Time
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