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The differences between peer 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 peer teacher and a middle school teacher. Additionally, a middle school teacher has an average salary of $53,363, which is higher than the $49,811 average annual salary of a peer teacher.
The top three skills for a peer teacher include classroom management, professional development and learning environment. The most important skills for a middle school teacher are classroom management, professional development, and math.
| Peer Teacher | Middle School Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $49,811 | $53,363 |
| Hourly rate | $23.95 | $25.66 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 54,705 | 82,230 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A peer teacher is a student teaching another student, typically at college or university level. It is a concept that can be traced back to ancient Greece as used by philosophers such as Aristotle. Peer teaching is often giving more knowledgeable advanced undergraduates or graduate students a faculty teaching responsibility for undergraduate students. It is also referred to as surrogate teaching or proctor program and can be tutoring one student or a small group.
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.
Peer teachers and middle school teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Peer Teacher | Middle School Teacher | |
| Average salary | $49,811 | $53,363 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $66,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Columbia International University | Baltimore City Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a peer teacher and a middle school teacher in terms of educational background:
| Peer Teacher | Middle School Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Health Education | Elementary Education |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between peer teachers' and middle school teachers' demographics:
| Peer Teacher | Middle School Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4% | Male, 35.4% Female, 64.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 3.6% White, 72.8% 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% |