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Head teacher vs elementary school teacher

The differences between head teachers and elementary school teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an elementary school teacher has an average salary of $52,161, which is higher than the $51,715 average annual salary of a head teacher.

The top three skills for a head teacher include classroom management, child care and creative curriculum. The most important skills for an elementary school teacher are classroom management, math, and professional development.

Head teacher vs elementary school teacher overview

Head TeacherElementary School Teacher
Yearly salary$51,715$52,161
Hourly rate$24.86$25.08
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs73,75684,607
Job satisfaction-2
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age4242
Years of experience--

What does a head teacher do?

A headteacher is responsible for monitoring the students' overall learning process, managing and evaluating the performance of school staff, implementing effective learning strategies for the students, encouraging them to reach their maximum potential, and gain self-confidence. Headteachers often lead meetings, especially discussing school activities and the child's performance to their parents, implementing safety policies, and enforcing disciplinary actions for policy violations. A headteacher must have excellent leadership and communication skills to handle the students' needs and support their high-quality performance.

What does an elementary school teacher do?

Elementary school teachers are trained to provide education to children from kindergarten through fifth grade. The teachers are responsible for children's emotional and educational growth in the classroom. They manage the resources and materials to be used for their education. It is part of their duties to evaluate the students' performance, social development, physical health, and behavior. Also, they adapt to teaching methods and instructions to meet the interests and needs of the children.

Head teacher vs elementary school teacher salary

Head teachers and elementary school teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Head TeacherElementary School Teacher
Average salary$51,715$52,161
Salary rangeBetween $32,000 And $83,000Between $37,000 And $72,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MABaltimore, MD
Highest paying stateMassachusettsMaryland
Best paying companyGrand View HealthGerman International School New York
Best paying industryRetailGovernment

Differences between head teacher and elementary school teacher education

There are a few differences between a head teacher and an elementary school teacher in terms of educational background:

Head TeacherElementary School Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 57%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorEarly Childhood EducationElementary Education
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Head teacher vs elementary school teacher demographics

Here are the differences between head teachers' and elementary school teachers' demographics:

Head TeacherElementary School Teacher
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 13.8% Female, 86.2%Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between head teacher and elementary school teacher duties and responsibilities

Head teacher example responsibilities.

  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Plan and implement cohesive, age-appropriate curriculum for severely disable children in Pre-K program.
  • Develop and implement age-appropriate curriculum for toddler program, ensuring that appropriate opportunities are provided in order to maximize learning potential.
  • Set up the physical environment to meet the changing needs of infants and toddlers in accordance with ECERS and ITERS-R assessments.

Elementary school teacher example responsibilities.

  • Offer leave of absence for remainder of school yearupon adoption of twin girls from Russia.
  • Help kids expend excess energy so they can sit still in regular classes for the rest of the afternoon.
  • Differentiate lessons to fit the needs of students in the ESL program, students with special needs, and gift students.
  • Create innovative PowerPoint presentation for daily lesson.
  • Create various PowerPoint presentations for multiple projects.
  • Develop innovative approaches to literacy development and mathematics teaching.
  • Show more

Head teacher vs elementary school teacher skills

Common head teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 26%
  • Child Care, 13%
  • Creative Curriculum, 5%
  • Language Arts, 5%
  • Pre-K, 5%
  • Mathematics, 5%
Common elementary school teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 18%
  • Math, 9%
  • Professional Development, 9%
  • Mathematics, 8%
  • Social Studies, 4%
  • Instructional Materials, 4%

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