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The differences between general education instructors and esl instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a general education instructor, becoming an esl instructor takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a general education instructor has an average salary of $58,566, which is higher than the $53,226 average annual salary of an esl instructor.
The top three skills for a general education instructor include professional development, syllabus and curriculum development. The most important skills for an esl instructor are grammar, classroom management, and language.
| General Education Instructor | ESL Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $58,566 | $53,226 |
| Hourly rate | $28.16 | $25.59 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 81,527 | 26,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A general instructor typically works in a college or high school. They have the basic duty of creating and participating in a variety of learning environments to provide the best opportunities for students to learn. They are required to make use of instructional techniques in the classroom and are expected to be able to generate participation from everyone in the classroom. They are also expected to be able to identify students who need assistance in their academics and to tutor them.
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.
General education instructors and esl instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Education Instructor | ESL Instructor | |
| Average salary | $58,566 | $53,226 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $92,000 | Between $36,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Boston Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | - | Retail |
There are a few differences between a general education instructor and an esl instructor in terms of educational background:
| General Education Instructor | ESL Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | English |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Columbia University in the City of New York |
Here are the differences between general education instructors' and esl instructors' demographics:
| General Education Instructor | ESL Instructor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3% | Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |