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The differences between early childhood special educators and preschool teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an early childhood special educator and a preschool teacher. Additionally, an early childhood special educator has an average salary of $36,798, which is higher than the $33,582 average annual salary of a preschool teacher.
The top three skills for an early childhood special educator include autism, classroom management and CPR. The most important skills for a preschool teacher are child care, CPR, and classroom management.
| Early Childhood Special Educator | Preschool Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $36,798 | $33,582 |
| Hourly rate | $17.69 | $16.15 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 62,487 | 55,298 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 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.
A project leader is in charge of managing and leading a team to reach project goals in adherence to schedules and budgets. Their responsibilities revolve around setting objectives and guidelines, assessing workforce performance, assisting staff in difficult areas, answering inquiries, and resolving issues to maintain an efficient workflow. A project leader must also produce progress reports and presentations, updating managers or supervisors as needed. Furthermore, as a project leader, it is essential to lead and encourage the team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Early childhood special educators and preschool teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Early Childhood Special Educator | Preschool Teacher | |
| Average salary | $36,798 | $33,582 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $58,000 | Between $23,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Baltimore City Public Schools | Kings Canyon Unified School District |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between an early childhood special educator and a preschool teacher in terms of educational background:
| Early Childhood Special Educator | Preschool Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Early Childhood Education | Early Childhood Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between early childhood special educators' and preschool teachers' demographics:
| Early Childhood Special Educator | Preschool Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 7.1% Female, 92.9% | Male, 6.4% Female, 93.6% |
| 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, 8.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 5.5% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |