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The differences between elementary school teachers and high school teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a high school teacher has an average salary of $52,441, which is higher than the $52,161 average annual salary of an elementary school teacher.
The top three skills for an elementary school teacher include classroom management, math and professional development. The most important skills for a high school teacher are classroom management, professional development, and culinary.
| Elementary School Teacher | High School Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $52,161 | $52,441 |
| Hourly rate | $25.08 | $25.21 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 84,607 | 83,554 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Elementary school teachers are trained to provide education to children from kindergarten through fifth grade. The teachers are responsible for children's emotional and educational growth in the classroom. They manage the resources and materials to be used for their education. It is part of their duties to evaluate the students' performance, social development, physical health, and behavior. Also, they adapt to teaching methods and instructions to meet the interests and needs of the children.
High school teachers play an essential role in preparing students for college or life following graduation. They typically teach students from the ninth to 12th grades. They plan and develop lessons, evaluate their students' strengths, weaknesses and abilities, and grade their exams and assignments. Other duties include working with individual students to challenge and improve their abilities, developing and implementing classroom rules, and overseeing students outside the classroom. Some of them also take on additional tasks, such as advising academic clubs or coaching sports teams.
Elementary school teachers and high school teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Elementary School Teacher | High School Teacher | |
| Average salary | $52,161 | $52,441 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $72,000 | Between $37,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | New York |
| Best paying company | German International School New York | Boston Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between an elementary school teacher and a high school teacher in terms of educational background:
| Elementary School Teacher | High School Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Elementary Education | Education |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between elementary school teachers' and high school teachers' demographics:
| Elementary School Teacher | High School Teacher | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5% | Male, 46.5% Female, 53.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 3.6% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 12% |