Steve Tippins Ph.D.Helping doctoral students get their dissertation accepted, succeed in their careers, & change the world | Academic Career Advisor | Dissertation Chair & Founder, Beyond PhD Coaching | 35 + years of experience.

Avoid The Adjunct Path #shorts

4 Jan 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:30

In this YouTube short, Steve Tippins Ph.D. warns that many PhDs pursue a series of adjunct teaching assignments hoping for a full‑time faculty position, but the economics are untenable. He explains that adjuncts are typically paid $3,000–$7,000 per course, which seems adequate until the unpaid prep, grading, and office‑hour responsibilities are considered, reducing the effective hourly rate to below typical retail wages. The work is largely invisible to institutions, and full‑time offers are rarely granted unless the adjunct approaches the job market strategically. The overall message is that the adjunct path is financially unsustainable and requires deliberate planning to transition to a desired full‑time role.

Chapters

Too many PhDs are working one adjunct class after another hoping that they'll receive a full time offer. But the pay is unsustainable, the work is invisible, and they're rarely offered the kind of full time position that they want unless they approach it strategically. The reality of adjuncting is you're paid 3 to $7,000 per course, which sounds reasonable until you factor in things like prep time, grading, office hours, etc. Break it down hourly and you're often earning less than retail work.