First grade teacher vs 5th grade teacher

The differences between first grade teachers and 5th grade teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a first grade teacher has an average salary of $49,757, which is higher than the $46,300 average annual salary of a 5th grade teacher.

The top three skills for a first grade teacher include classroom management, math and social studies. The most important skills for a 5th grade teacher are classroom management, math, and professional development.

First grade teacher vs 5th grade teacher overview

	First Grade Teacher	5th Grade Teacher
Yearly salary	$49,757	$46,300
Hourly rate	$23.92	$22.26
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	70,517	57,358
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

What does a first grade teacher do?

First-grade teachers are the first instructors of children after they finished the kindergarten level. They play an essential role as children aged six to seven move to more structured learning. Generally, they set an exciting tone of learning for the fundamental skills in writing, reading, and math. These teachers create and give effective learning activities to the children to enhance their physical, emotional, intellectual, and social development. They have to effectively manage the classroom and ensure that all students are safe. Also, they give regular assessments to children to evaluate if their teaching method is effective and to determine the learning style of each child. Additionally, they need to communicate with parents, guardians, and principals on the progress of the children.

What does a 5th grade teacher do?

A 5th Grade Teacher is responsible for educating children and teaching them subjects like math, English, science, or art. They work in a public or private school at the elementary level.

First grade teacher vs 5th grade teacher salary

First grade teachers and 5th grade teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	First Grade Teacher	5th Grade Teacher
Average salary	$49,757	$46,300
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $65,000	Between $33,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	Shady Side Academy	CAI
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between first grade teacher and 5th grade teacher education

There are a few differences between a first grade teacher and a 5th grade teacher in terms of educational background:

	First Grade Teacher	5th Grade Teacher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Elementary Education	Elementary Education
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

First grade teacher vs 5th grade teacher demographics

Here are the differences between first grade teachers' and 5th grade teachers' demographics:

	First Grade Teacher	5th Grade Teacher
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 7.5% Female, 92.5%	Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between first grade teacher and 5th grade teacher duties and responsibilities

First grade teacher example responsibilities.

Used technology such as scanning documents, creating hyperlinks and PowerPoint to document student progress for student lead conferences.
Prepare and plan literacy and math centers daily to encourage student achievement and socialization skills.
Develop standards-based curricula including a balance literacy program, math and writers' workshops and after school intervention program.
Implement the PBIS social emotional development program.
Employ PBIS to reenforce positive behavior among students.
Focuse on ESL students using methodical scaffolding, with an emphasis on citizenship and literacy.

5th grade teacher example responsibilities.

Collaborate with peers to enhance the instructional environment, implement kindergarten through second grade state standards and follow district curriculum maps.
Support literacy through the implementation of reading and writing workshops that are based on at-risk and ESL students.
Conduct RTI for a small group of tier 2 reading level students daily to improve literacy and writing skills.
Provide lesson plans, IEP's, progress reports and attend to the day-to-day activities for children with special needs.
Develop strategies to collect data to use in PST meetings for students in need of an IEP and support services.
Assist kindergarten and 1st grade teachers with setting up activities, administering tests, grading work, and reviewing student progress.

First grade teacher vs 5th grade teacher skills

Common first grade teacher skills

Classroom Management, 29%
Math, 13%
Social Studies, 5%
Professional Development, 4%
Classroom Environment, 4%
Language Arts, 3%

Common 5th grade teacher skills

Classroom Management, 19%
Math, 12%
Professional Development, 7%
Social Studies, 6%
Student Learning, 5%
Instructional Materials, 4%

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First Grade Teacher vs 5th Grade Teacher

Updated January 8, 2025

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