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The differences between foreign language teachers and esl teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a foreign language teacher has an average salary of $53,918, which is higher than the $52,701 average annual salary of an esl teacher.
The top three skills for a foreign language teacher include classroom management, student learning and mandarin. The most important skills for an esl teacher are kids, whiteboards, and classroom management.
| Foreign Language Teacher | ESL Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $53,918 | $52,701 |
| Hourly rate | $25.92 | $25.34 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 73,406 | 63,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A Foreign Language Teacher helps students to learn a foreign language. They participate in school-wide activities, like recruiting new students, workshops, and other special events.
They also note how well learners participate in the learning discussions, grade their homework assignments, and evaluate their performances.
An ESL teacher specializes in teaching the English language to non-native speakers of all ages, usually in a virtual setting. Their responsibilities revolve around devising lesson plans, organizing learning materials, evaluating progress, and coming up with strategies to make learners feel comfortable. Furthermore, they must maintain a healthy and safe learning environment, whether the lessons are in a one-on-one or group setting. When it comes to virtual learning, an ESL teacher must have the necessary equipment, a stable internet connection, and an obstruction-free teaching location.
Foreign language teachers and esl teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Foreign Language Teacher | ESL Teacher | |
| Average salary | $53,918 | $52,701 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $74,000 | Between $40,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Monterey, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Howard University | Pace University |
| Best paying industry | Education | Retail |
There are a few differences between a foreign language teacher and an esl teacher in terms of educational background:
| Foreign Language Teacher | ESL Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Linguistics | English |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between foreign language teachers' and esl teachers' demographics:
| Foreign Language Teacher | ESL Teacher | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 11.7% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 3.6% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 9% |