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The differences between lead teachers and head start 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 lead teacher and a head start teacher. Additionally, a head start teacher has an average salary of $33,865, which is higher than the $33,652 average annual salary of a lead teacher.
The top three skills for a lead teacher include CPR, customer service and child care. The most important skills for a head start teacher are kids, math, and CPR.
| Lead Teacher | Head Start Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $33,652 | $33,865 |
| Hourly rate | $16.18 | $16.28 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 56,131 | 67,747 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The Lead Teacher works with parents to resolve student issues and train new teachers on effective teaching techniques. A Lead Teacher is a licensed teacher with extensive teaching experience and preferably has a master's in education or related studies. They are an integral part of a school's faculty and the principal's arm in drafting policies for implementation.
A head start teacher is responsible for organizing lectures and monitoring classroom operations for students with financial difficulties. Head start teachers have the same roles as regular teachers, such as preparing lesson plans, conducting assessments to test the students' knowledge, documenting their progress, and planning group activities to observe their personal and social behaviors. They also coordinate with the students' parents to share the child's difficulties and strategize methods to enhance capabilities. A head start teacher must have excellent communication skills, especially in attending to students for their needs and encouraging them to reach their maximum potentials.
Lead teachers and head start teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Teacher | Head Start Teacher | |
| Average salary | $33,652 | $33,865 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $50,000 | Between $23,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Success Preparatory Academy | Topeka Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a lead teacher and a head start teacher in terms of educational background:
| Lead Teacher | Head Start Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Early Childhood Education | Early Childhood Education |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead teachers' and head start teachers' demographics:
| Lead Teacher | Head Start Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8% | Male, 7.9% Female, 92.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 3.5% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 5% |