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The differences between early childhood special educators and kindergarten teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kindergarten teacher has an average salary of $48,029, which is higher than the $36,798 average annual salary of an early childhood special educator.
The top three skills for an early childhood special educator include autism, classroom management and CPR. The most important skills for a kindergarten teacher are classroom management, math, and professional development.
| Early Childhood Special Educator | Kindergarten Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $36,798 | $48,029 |
| Hourly rate | $17.69 | $23.09 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 62,487 | 65,972 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
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.
Kindergarten teachers teach young children social and emotional skills, reading skills, music, and personal hygiene. They prepare these children for elementary school and certain life aspects. It is also their responsibility to teach children good classroom behavior, plan the curriculum daily and the whole school year, and conduct parent-teach meetings. Kindergarten teachers should encourage children to be observant of activities and give them the chance to ask questions and find the answers. They should also work with parents in putting an action plan to help children with emotional or developmental problems.
Early childhood special educators and kindergarten teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Early Childhood Special Educator | Kindergarten Teacher | |
| Average salary | $36,798 | $48,029 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $58,000 | Between $37,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Baltimore City Public Schools | Brooklyn Waldorf School |
| Best paying industry | Education | Finance |
There are a few differences between an early childhood special educator and a kindergarten teacher in terms of educational background:
| Early Childhood Special Educator | Kindergarten Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Early Childhood Education | Elementary Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between early childhood special educators' and kindergarten teachers' demographics:
| Early Childhood Special Educator | Kindergarten Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 7.1% Female, 92.9% | Male, 8.2% Female, 91.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 6.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |