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Early childhood specialist vs infant teacher

The differences between early childhood specialists and infant teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an early childhood specialist has an average salary of $35,575, which is higher than the $29,076 average annual salary of an infant teacher.

The top three skills for an early childhood specialist include professional development, technical assistance and staff development. The most important skills for an infant teacher are CPR, customer service, and child development.

Early childhood specialist vs infant teacher overview

Early Childhood SpecialistInfant Teacher
Yearly salary$35,575$29,076
Hourly rate$17.10$13.98
Growth rate15%4%
Number of jobs33,45163,079
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age4044
Years of experience2-

What does an early childhood specialist do?

An early childhood specialist is responsible for managing the activities of young learners, monitoring their learning development, and designing engaging activities to observe their personal and social behaviors. Early childhood specialists assist the parents and the teachers of a child with administering programs that would expose their skills and their ability to solve basic problem-solving tasks. They coordinate with the parents to provide them progress updates and adjust learning strategies as needed depending on the child's performance.

What does an infant teacher do?

Infant teachers provide care to infants and a safe environment for them to develop. They are teachers that specialize in giving an educational environment to preschool babies and toddlers. These professional teachers guide the child or toddler in their educational development by creating appropriate programs. They lovingly, patiently, and efficiently respond to the child's needs. They should be able to demonstrate good judgment in their care and verbally engage with them throughout the day. Also, they must be caring and enjoy teaching these infants as well as be flexible in their schedule.

Early childhood specialist vs infant teacher salary

Early childhood specialists and infant teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Early Childhood SpecialistInfant Teacher
Average salary$35,575$29,076
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $50,000Between $22,000 And $37,000
Highest paying CityHarrison, NYSan Jose, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkAlaska
Best paying companyEdmonds Community College, LynnwoodOak Grove School
Best paying industryProfessionalFinance

Differences between early childhood specialist and infant teacher education

There are a few differences between an early childhood specialist and an infant teacher in terms of educational background:

Early Childhood SpecialistInfant Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common majorEarly Childhood EducationEarly Childhood Education
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversitySan Diego State University

Early childhood specialist vs infant teacher demographics

Here are the differences between early childhood specialists' and infant teachers' demographics:

Early Childhood SpecialistInfant Teacher
Average age4044
Gender ratioMale, 12.8% Female, 87.2%Male, 4.6% Female, 95.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.3% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage5%6%

Differences between early childhood specialist and infant teacher duties and responsibilities

Early childhood specialist example responsibilities.

  • Perform CPR and first aid duties.
  • Complete assessments, develop IEP's and track progress.
  • Assist children's ministry team with projects as needed.
  • Follow lesson plans to fit the school and kids needs.
  • Facilitate formal kindergarten transition strategies for children in the GSRP program.
  • Greet parents and kids punctually every day, in friendly manner.
  • Show more

Infant teacher example responsibilities.

  • Certify to perform first aid and CPR in emergencies.
  • Exceed goals in using standards to become NAEYC accredit.
  • Complete all necessary criteria to meet and pass NAEYC accreditation standards.
  • Help attend to the infants or pre-k children in the daycare center as needed.
  • Lead teacher for infant, pre-k, toddler, and school age classrooms as necessary.
  • Clean and sanitize rooms, arts and crafts, supervision, closing, first aid and CPR certify.
  • Show more

Early childhood specialist vs infant teacher skills

Common early childhood specialist skills
  • Professional Development, 13%
  • Technical Assistance, 12%
  • Staff Development, 10%
  • Data Collection, 10%
  • Child Development, 9%
  • Performance Standards, 9%
Common infant teacher skills
  • CPR, 35%
  • Customer Service, 25%
  • Child Development, 18%
  • Infant Care, 5%
  • Social Growth, 3%
  • Open Communication, 3%

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