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The differences between early childhood education instructors and early childhood special educators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an early childhood education instructor, becoming an early childhood special educator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an early childhood education instructor has an average salary of $41,294, which is higher than the $36,798 average annual salary of an early childhood special educator.
The top three skills for an early childhood education instructor include autism, childhood education and child development. The most important skills for an early childhood special educator are autism, classroom management, and CPR.
| Early Childhood Education Instructor | Early Childhood Special Educator | |
| Yearly salary | $41,294 | $36,798 |
| Hourly rate | $19.85 | $17.69 |
| Growth rate | -6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 68,342 | 62,487 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
With love for children, an early childhood education instructor helps children reach their optimum intelligence and healthy physique level. They develop programs that help children develop skills appropriate for age and development. Through these programs, they can observe for any developmental delays and behavioral problems of children. Instructors can tell the parents their observations and assist in looking for suitable solutions. They work alongside nurses, social workers, and parents to better all children and their health.
Early childhood special educators are professionals who provide direct services for infants and young children that are experiencing delays in their development. These educators are required to collaborate with parents to provide a program of activities that can encourage the growth of the children's skills. By incorporating the advice of other professionals, early childhood special educators must create individual education plans that address the specific learning challenges of children. They must also identify signs of child abuse and neglect so that they can take the necessary actions to remediate the situation.
Early childhood education instructors and early childhood special educators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Early Childhood Education Instructor | Early Childhood Special Educator | |
| Average salary | $41,294 | $36,798 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $57,000 | Between $23,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Northwestern University | Baltimore City Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Education |
There are a few differences between an early childhood education instructor and an early childhood special educator in terms of educational background:
| Early Childhood Education Instructor | Early Childhood Special Educator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Early Childhood Education | Early Childhood Education |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between early childhood education instructors' and early childhood special educators' demographics:
| Early Childhood Education Instructor | Early Childhood Special Educator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2% | Male, 7.1% Female, 92.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 6.0% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 8% |