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The differences between 2nd grade teachers and first grade teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a first grade teacher has an average salary of $49,757, which is higher than the $46,850 average annual salary of a 2nd grade teacher.
The top three skills for a 2nd grade teacher include classroom management, math and professional development. The most important skills for a first grade teacher are classroom management, math, and social studies.
| 2nd Grade Teacher | First Grade Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $46,850 | $49,757 |
| Hourly rate | $22.52 | $23.92 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 59,077 | 70,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A 2nd-grade teacher specializes in educating young children, providing them with a safe and efficient classroom environment. One of their primary responsibilities is to devise strategies to improve the students' academic knowledge and interpersonal skills, craft effective lesson plans, and enhance their reading and writing skills. Moreover, a teacher must assess the students' progress by conducting tests and quizzes, encouraging them to learn through various activities, monitoring the children's behavior, and reporting to their parents should there be any concerns.
First-grade teachers are the first instructors of children after they finished the kindergarten level. They play an essential role as children aged six to seven move to more structured learning. Generally, they set an exciting tone of learning for the fundamental skills in writing, reading, and math. These teachers create and give effective learning activities to the children to enhance their physical, emotional, intellectual, and social development. They have to effectively manage the classroom and ensure that all students are safe. Also, they give regular assessments to children to evaluate if their teaching method is effective and to determine the learning style of each child. Additionally, they need to communicate with parents, guardians, and principals on the progress of the children.
2nd grade teachers and first grade teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| 2nd Grade Teacher | First Grade Teacher | |
| Average salary | $46,850 | $49,757 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $68,000 | Between $37,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Pablo, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | New York |
| Best paying company | Irving Isd | Shady Side Academy |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a 2nd grade teacher and a first grade teacher in terms of educational background:
| 2nd Grade Teacher | First Grade Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Elementary Education | Elementary Education |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between 2nd grade teachers' and first grade teachers' demographics:
| 2nd Grade Teacher | First Grade Teacher | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8% | Male, 7.5% Female, 92.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |