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The differences between early childhood specialists and pre-k teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pre-k teacher has an average salary of $40,301, which is higher than the $35,575 average annual salary of an early childhood specialist.
The top three skills for an early childhood specialist include professional development, technical assistance and staff development. The most important skills for a pre-k teacher are kids, math, and language arts.
| Early Childhood Specialist | Pre-K Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $35,575 | $40,301 |
| Hourly rate | $17.10 | $19.38 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 33,451 | 60,464 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
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.
Pre-K teachers play an essential role in the lives of young children ages three to five years old by developing and nurturing their interest in subjects appropriate for their age. They promote a creative learning environment and encourage social interactions among students while providing the fundamental educational foundation that will prepare them for a successful start to kindergarten. They are responsible for overseeing children during their mealtimes, reinforcing personal hygiene, and developing children's social skills. Pre-K teachers also plan curriculum and work with other school staff members.
Early childhood specialists and pre-k teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Early Childhood Specialist | Pre-K Teacher | |
| Average salary | $35,575 | $40,301 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $50,000 | Between $28,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Harrison, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Edmonds Community College, Lynnwood | Faulkner University |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between an early childhood specialist and a pre-k teacher in terms of educational background:
| Early Childhood Specialist | Pre-K Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Early Childhood Education | Early Childhood Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between early childhood specialists' and pre-k teachers' demographics:
| Early Childhood Specialist | Pre-K Teacher | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.8% Female, 87.2% | Male, 8.5% Female, 91.5% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 9% |