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The differences between education paraprofessionals and head start teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a head start teacher has an average salary of $33,865, which is higher than the $31,158 average annual salary of an education paraprofessional.
The top three skills for an education paraprofessional include autism, behavioral issues and mathematics. The most important skills for a head start teacher are kids, math, and CPR.
| Education Paraprofessional | Head Start Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $31,158 | $33,865 |
| Hourly rate | $14.98 | $16.28 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 53,164 | 67,747 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
An education paraprofessional's role is to carry out support tasks for a teacher in a school setting. They are responsible for creating learning materials such as visual aids and presentations, participating in devising lesson plans and assessment methods, grading and evaluating student performances, and even maintaining order in the classroom. There are also instances where they must assist students who are having difficulties catching up with the lessons. Furthermore, an education paraprofessional may also teach under the supervision of a more experienced educator.
A head start teacher is responsible for organizing lectures and monitoring classroom operations for students with financial difficulties. Head start teachers have the same roles as regular teachers, such as preparing lesson plans, conducting assessments to test the students' knowledge, documenting their progress, and planning group activities to observe their personal and social behaviors. They also coordinate with the students' parents to share the child's difficulties and strategize methods to enhance capabilities. A head start teacher must have excellent communication skills, especially in attending to students for their needs and encouraging them to reach their maximum potentials.
Education paraprofessionals and head start teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Education Paraprofessional | Head Start Teacher | |
| Average salary | $31,158 | $33,865 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $23,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | Topeka Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Education |
There are a few differences between an education paraprofessional and a head start teacher in terms of educational background:
| Education Paraprofessional | Head Start Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Early Childhood Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between education paraprofessionals' and head start teachers' demographics:
| Education Paraprofessional | Head Start Teacher | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.7% Female, 80.3% | Male, 7.9% Female, 92.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |