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General education instructor vs program instructor

The differences between general education instructors and program instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a general education instructor and a program instructor. Additionally, a general education instructor has an average salary of $58,566, which is higher than the $42,380 average annual salary of a program instructor.

The top three skills for a general education instructor include professional development, syllabus and curriculum development. The most important skills for a program instructor are patients, K-12, and math.

General education instructor vs program instructor overview

General Education InstructorProgram Instructor
Yearly salary$58,566$42,380
Hourly rate$28.16$20.38
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs81,52792,369
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does a general education instructor do?

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.

What does a program instructor do?

A program instructor is responsible for facilitating indoor and outdoor programs with various goals and objectives catering to different participants. Program instructors must have excellent communication skills, especially on gaining the participants' attention and engaging them to join the activities prepared for the day. They also maintain a safe and creative learning environment for everyone, observing each participant's behavior and interests, developing group cooperation, and fostering personal development. A program instructor reiterates safety procedures and regulations during the program for everyone's strict compliance and immediately addresses conflicts soon as they arise.

General education instructor vs program instructor salary

General education instructors and program instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.

General Education InstructorProgram Instructor
Average salary$58,566$42,380
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $92,000Between $29,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City-Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state-Hawaii
Best paying company-Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between general education instructor and program instructor education

There are a few differences between a general education instructor and a program instructor in terms of educational background:

General Education InstructorProgram Instructor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common majorBusinessPsychology
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

General education instructor vs program instructor demographics

Here are the differences between general education instructors' and program instructors' demographics:

General Education InstructorProgram Instructor
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 45.7% Female, 54.3%Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage16%16%

Differences between general education instructor and program instructor duties and responsibilities

General education instructor example responsibilities.

  • Utilize blackboard management system to encourage online discussions and manage grades.
  • Subject areas include science, English, and mathematics.
  • Inform students about course requirements, evaluation procedures, and class participation requirements according to the course syllabus.
  • Create inclusive lesson plans base on the NCSCOS to supplement instruction for students performing below grade level in reading and mathematics.
  • Serve as theory instructor for medical-surgical nursing and pharmacology for junior students and leadership and management nursing for senior students.
  • Provide psychiatric nursing instruction and supervision at a Boston teaching hospital for students enroll in generic undergraduate BSN degree program.

Program instructor example responsibilities.

  • Facilitate, manage and implement each classroom student's IEP
  • Lead DCMA personnel consolidation plan to increase synergies and communication amongst the teams.
  • Manage groups of kids on a daily basis in the field to ensure safety while participating in activities.
  • Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation where applicable.
  • Perform general maintenance work including HVAC, electrical, refrigeration and plumbing.
  • Assist high school students with math, computers science and computer programming (Java).
  • Show more

General education instructor vs program instructor skills

Common general education instructor skills
  • Professional Development, 10%
  • Syllabus, 8%
  • Curriculum Development, 7%
  • Course Objectives, 6%
  • Teaching Methodologies, 5%
  • Learning Objectives, 5%
Common program instructor skills
  • Patients, 25%
  • K-12, 15%
  • Math, 11%
  • Mathematics, 9%
  • Excellent Interpersonal, 8%
  • CPR, 4%

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