Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between general education instructors and special education teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general education instructor has an average salary of $58,566, which is higher than the $54,290 average annual salary of a special education teacher.
The top three skills for a general education instructor include professional development, syllabus and curriculum development. The most important skills for a special education teacher are classroom management, autism, and behavior management.
| General Education Instructor | Special Education Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $58,566 | $54,290 |
| Hourly rate | $28.16 | $26.10 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 81,527 | 67,699 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
A special education teacher is responsible for teaching students with disabilities. Special education teachers are trained professionals to provide distinct learning instructions for children with special cases for them to achieve their potentials and improve their self-confidence. A special education teacher must have excellent communication and organizational skills to assist the students with their learning areas. Special education teachers should be able to come up with engaging activities to support the students' behavioral and intellectual development.
General education instructors and special education teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Education Instructor | Special Education Teacher | |
| Average salary | $58,566 | $54,290 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $92,000 | Between $39,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | - | Maryland |
| Best paying company | - | Baltimore City Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a general education instructor and a special education teacher in terms of educational background:
| General Education Instructor | Special Education Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Special Education |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between general education instructors' and special education teachers' demographics:
| General Education Instructor | Special Education Teacher | |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3% | Male, 24.6% Female, 75.4% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 3.6% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 8% |