Director of special education vs special education teacher

The differences between directors of special education and special education teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a director of special education has an average salary of $80,520, which is higher than the $54,290 average annual salary of a special education teacher.

The top three skills for a director of special education include professional development, autism and education programs. The most important skills for a special education teacher are classroom management, autism, and behavior management.

Director of special education vs special education teacher overview

	Director Of Special Education	Special Education Teacher
Yearly salary	$80,520	$54,290
Hourly rate	$38.71	$26.10
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	21,975	67,699
Job satisfaction	-	4.33
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

What does a director of special education do?

A Director Of Special Education plans, implements, and maintains special education programs and services. They also consult with parents of students enrolled in the program.

What does a special education teacher do?

A special education teacher is responsible for teaching students with disabilities. Special education teachers are trained professionals to provide distinct learning instructions for children with special cases for them to achieve their potentials and improve their self-confidence. A special education teacher must have excellent communication and organizational skills to assist the students with their learning areas. Special education teachers should be able to come up with engaging activities to support the students' behavioral and intellectual development.

Director of special education vs special education teacher salary

Directors of special education and special education teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Special Education	Special Education Teacher
Average salary	$80,520	$54,290
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $115,000	Between $39,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	Santa Clara, CA	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	Maryland	Maryland
Best paying company	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	Baltimore City Public Schools
Best paying industry	Education	Government

Differences between director of special education and special education teacher education

There are a few differences between a director of special education and a special education teacher in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Special Education	Special Education Teacher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Special Education	Special Education
Most common college	Columbia University in the City of New York	Northwestern University

Director of special education vs special education teacher demographics

Here are the differences between directors of special education' and special education teachers' demographics:

	Director Of Special Education	Special Education Teacher
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 29.6% Female, 70.4%	Male, 24.6% Female, 75.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 3.6% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 3.6% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between director of special education and special education teacher duties and responsibilities

Director of special education example responsibilities.

Manage all office procedures including successfully meeting DCFS visits and requirements.
Provide oversight of fiduciary hold, non-publicly trade assets within the bank's wealth management department.
Integrate a customer relationship management application for improve tracking and communication for all study abroad relate students and activities.
Integrate a customer relationship management application for improve tracking and communication for all study abroad relate students and activities.

Special education teacher example responsibilities.

Lead a DIBELS intervention group.
Lead the data team with interpreting results, including NWEA and other benchmark assessments.
Design a unique and differentiate curriculum that addressed state standards for both mathematics and special education.
Educate special needs kids with mental and physical disabilities using proven conventional and improvise teaching/learning methods.
Plan appropriate lessons align to NYS CCSS.
Instruct and create ELA lessons through Fountas and Pinnell and Fundations.

Director of special education vs special education teacher skills

Common director of special education skills

Professional Development, 13%
Autism, 10%
Education Programs, 6%
Behavior Management, 6%
K-12, 5%
IEPs, 5%

Common special education teacher skills

Classroom Management, 11%
Autism, 10%
Behavior Management, 6%
IEPs, 6%
Professional Development, 6%
Student Learning, 6%

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Director Of Special Education
Director Of Special Education vs Special Education Teacher

Updated January 8, 2025

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