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The differences between esl instructors and adult education instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an esl instructor, becoming an adult education instructor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an esl instructor has an average salary of $53,226, which is higher than the $45,926 average annual salary of an adult education instructor.
The top three skills for an esl instructor include grammar, classroom management and language. The most important skills for an adult education instructor are math, professional development, and social studies.
| ESL Instructor | Adult Education Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $53,226 | $45,926 |
| Hourly rate | $25.59 | $22.08 |
| Growth rate | 12% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 26,173 | 43,991 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
An ESL instructor is responsible for teaching the English language, usually to non-native speakers, discussing all the disciplines of the English language, both written and verbal, and in some cases, even its nature and history. ESL instructors create a comprehensive lesson plan for the English language learners, prepare learning materials, and conduct individual and group activities to test the learners' knowledge and progress. They also evaluate the learners' performance by identifying areas of improvement and adjust teaching strategies to address each learner's difficulties and maintain an engaging classroom environment.
Adult education instructors are teachers in continuing and adult education who are working in various settings. The instructors teach adult students a range of courses including high school equivalency, math, literacy, and art. They teach English as a secondary language to students as well as cooking, health, and technology. It is their responsibility to instruct adults in preparatory and remedial education classes. Their job may or may not be performed in a traditional educational institution.
Esl instructors and adult education instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| ESL Instructor | Adult Education Instructor | |
| Average salary | $53,226 | $45,926 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $78,000 | Between $31,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | Boston Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Government |
There are a few differences between an esl instructor and an adult education instructor in terms of educational background:
| ESL Instructor | Adult Education Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | English | Elementary Education |
| Most common college | Columbia University in the City of New York | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between esl instructors' and adult education instructors' demographics:
| ESL Instructor | Adult Education Instructor | |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0% | Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 12% |