First grade teacher vs 6th grade teacher

The differences between first grade teachers and 6th 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 $45,615 average annual salary of a 6th grade teacher.

The top three skills for a first grade teacher include classroom management, math and social studies. The most important skills for a 6th grade teacher are classroom management, math, and professional development.

First grade teacher vs 6th grade teacher overview

	First Grade Teacher	6th Grade Teacher
Yearly salary	$49,757	$45,615
Hourly rate	$23.92	$21.93
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	70,517	69,523
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
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 6th grade teacher do?

The 6th grade is one of the many transition moments a child will undergo during early development. At this point, children will be nearing adolescence and entering their teens in a couple of years. The 6th-grade teacher is crucial as they will again prepare the youth for another phase in their lives. Teachers at this grade level must have a good grasp of child psychology, understand child behavior, and have the capability to teach lectures and resolve problems that children may encounter.

First grade teacher vs 6th grade teacher salary

First grade teachers and 6th grade teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	First Grade Teacher	6th Grade Teacher
Average salary	$49,757	$45,615
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $65,000	Between $33,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Shady Side Academy	Merritt Academy
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between first grade teacher and 6th grade teacher education

There are a few differences between a first grade teacher and a 6th grade teacher in terms of educational background:

	First Grade Teacher	6th Grade Teacher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Elementary Education	Elementary Education
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

First grade teacher vs 6th grade teacher demographics

Here are the differences between first grade teachers' and 6th grade teachers' demographics:

	First Grade Teacher	6th Grade Teacher
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 7.5% Female, 92.5%	Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4%
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, 9.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between first grade teacher and 6th 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.

6th grade teacher example responsibilities.

Provide after-school math and science tutoring as additional instructional support.
Tutor lower-performing students in math, considerably improving motivation and achievement.
Prepare documentation for and attend IEP meetings for students receiving special education services.
Facilitate improvement of kindergarten report card so that it reflect specific skills teach and assess, meeting Texas curriculum guidelines.
Used ARI methods to improve literacy and prepare students for DIBELS.
Apply curriculum standards to daily lessons plans which also include differentiating instruction plans, DIBELS testing, and ongoing assessments

First grade teacher vs 6th 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 6th grade teacher skills

Classroom Management, 16%
Math, 14%
Professional Development, 8%
Instructional Materials, 5%
Mathematics Curriculum, 5%
Kids, 5%

First Grade Teacher vs. similar jobs

First Grade Teacher related careers

First Grade Teacher related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Education, Training, and Library Industry
First Grade Teacher
First Grade Teacher vs 6th Grade Teacher

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs