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Kindergarten teacher vs head teacher

The differences between kindergarten teachers and head teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a head teacher has an average salary of $51,715, which is higher than the $48,029 average annual salary of a kindergarten teacher.

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

Kindergarten teacher vs head teacher overview

Kindergarten TeacherHead Teacher
Yearly salary$48,029$51,715
Hourly rate$23.09$24.86
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs65,97273,756
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4042
Years of experience--

What does a kindergarten teacher do?

Kindergarten teachers teach young children social and emotional skills, reading skills, music, and personal hygiene. They prepare these children for elementary school and certain life aspects. It is also their responsibility to teach children good classroom behavior, plan the curriculum daily and the whole school year, and conduct parent-teach meetings. Kindergarten teachers should encourage children to be observant of activities and give them the chance to ask questions and find the answers. They should also work with parents in putting an action plan to help children with emotional or developmental problems.

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.

Kindergarten teacher vs head teacher salary

Kindergarten teachers and head teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Kindergarten TeacherHead Teacher
Average salary$48,029$51,715
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $62,000Between $32,000 And $83,000
Highest paying CityPalo Alto, CABoston, MA
Highest paying stateHawaiiMassachusetts
Best paying companyBrooklyn Waldorf SchoolGrand View Health
Best paying industryFinanceRetail

Differences between kindergarten teacher and head teacher education

There are a few differences between a kindergarten teacher and a head teacher in terms of educational background:

Kindergarten TeacherHead Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorElementary EducationEarly Childhood Education
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaNorthwestern University

Kindergarten teacher vs head teacher demographics

Here are the differences between kindergarten teachers' and head teachers' demographics:

Kindergarten TeacherHead Teacher
Average age4042
Gender ratioMale, 8.2% Female, 91.8%Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 6.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black 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%
LGBT Percentage5%9%

Differences between kindergarten teacher and head teacher duties and responsibilities

Kindergarten teacher example responsibilities.

  • Utilize PLC time to meet the needs of struggling and achieving students
  • Target at risk and high achieving students using levele readers and DRA strategies.
  • Present history and math PowerPoint lessons.
  • Serve on data teams to coordinate with ELA, math and RTI specialists to ensure student growth and success.
  • Develop daily literacy and math base learning centers to promote cooperative learning and independent practice.
  • Plan and teach an 1st and 2nd grade ELA unit.
  • Show more

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.

Kindergarten teacher vs head teacher skills

Common kindergarten teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 27%
  • Math, 14%
  • Professional Development, 7%
  • Language Arts, 5%
  • Social Studies, 4%
  • Classroom Environment, 4%
Common head teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 26%
  • Child Care, 13%
  • Creative Curriculum, 5%
  • Language Arts, 5%
  • Pre-K, 5%
  • Mathematics, 5%

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