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The differences between foreign language instructors and sign language teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a foreign language instructor and a sign language teacher. Additionally, a foreign language instructor has an average salary of $62,177, which is higher than the $54,210 average annual salary of a sign language teacher.
The top three skills for a foreign language instructor include tagalog, classroom management and ILR. The most important skills for a sign language teacher are ESL, student learning, and classroom management.
| Foreign Language Instructor | Sign Language Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $62,177 | $54,210 |
| Hourly rate | $29.89 | $26.06 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 45,303 | 73,259 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The responsibility of a foreign language teacher is to teach students any language that is not their mother tongue. They speak, write, and comprehend foreign language to students, which often includes cross-cultural studies and literature instruction. They teach at all education levels and in government and corporations. Those teaching at the college level requires an advanced degree like a doctoral degree or master's degree. They may also specialize in the language they want to become an expert in.
A sign language teacher provides instruction in signed communication. They teach sign languages such as American Sign Language or British Sign Language to both deaf and hearing students. Fluency in sign language can significantly enhance quality of life for deaf and hard of hearing students.
Foreign language instructors and sign language teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Foreign Language Instructor | Sign Language Teacher | |
| Average salary | $62,177 | $54,210 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $87,000 | Between $38,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Monterey, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Middlebury College | Greenfield Union School District |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Education |
There are a few differences between a foreign language instructor and a sign language teacher in terms of educational background:
| Foreign Language Instructor | Sign Language Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | English | Special Education |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between foreign language instructors' and sign language teachers' demographics:
| Foreign Language Instructor | Sign Language Teacher | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.9% Female, 55.1% | Male, 18.6% Female, 81.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |