Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between high school teachers and middle school teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a high school teacher and a middle school teacher. Additionally, a middle school teacher has an average salary of $53,363, which is higher than the $52,441 average annual salary of a high school teacher.
The top three skills for a high school teacher include classroom management, professional development and culinary. The most important skills for a middle school teacher are classroom management, professional development, and math.
| High School Teacher | Middle School Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $52,441 | $53,363 |
| Hourly rate | $25.21 | $25.66 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 83,554 | 82,230 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
High school teachers play an essential role in preparing students for college or life following graduation. They typically teach students from the ninth to 12th grades. They plan and develop lessons, evaluate their students' strengths, weaknesses and abilities, and grade their exams and assignments. Other duties include working with individual students to challenge and improve their abilities, developing and implementing classroom rules, and overseeing students outside the classroom. Some of them also take on additional tasks, such as advising academic clubs or coaching sports teams.
A middle school teacher is responsible for teaching students in grades six to eight, following a curriculum that fits on their grade levels to prepare them for the next advancement. Middle school teachers strategize effective lesson plans, engaging activities, and assessments to test the students' knowledge and understanding of the learning materials. They also observe the personal and developmental behaviors of the students by conducting group activities and performance. A middle school teacher identifies the students' strengths and weaknesses, adjusting the learning approach as needed to cater to each student's needs and difficulties.
High school teachers and middle school teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| High School Teacher | Middle School Teacher | |
| Average salary | $52,441 | $53,363 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $72,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | Baltimore City Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a high school teacher and a middle school teacher in terms of educational background:
| High School Teacher | Middle School Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Education | Elementary Education |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between high school teachers' and middle school teachers' demographics:
| High School Teacher | Middle School Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.5% Female, 53.5% | Male, 35.4% Female, 64.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 3.6% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 9% |