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The differences between peer teachers and special education teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special education teacher has an average salary of $54,290, 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 special education teacher are classroom management, autism, and behavior management.
| Peer Teacher | Special Education Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $49,811 | $54,290 |
| Hourly rate | $23.95 | $26.10 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 54,705 | 67,699 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 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 special education teacher is responsible for teaching students with disabilities. Special education teachers are trained professionals to provide distinct learning instructions for children with special cases for them to achieve their potentials and improve their self-confidence. A special education teacher must have excellent communication and organizational skills to assist the students with their learning areas. Special education teachers should be able to come up with engaging activities to support the students' behavioral and intellectual development.
Peer teachers and special education teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Peer Teacher | Special Education Teacher | |
| Average salary | $49,811 | $54,290 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $66,000 | Between $39,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | New York | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Columbia International University | Baltimore City Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between a peer teacher and a special education teacher in terms of educational background:
| Peer Teacher | Special Education Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Health Education | Special Education |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between peer teachers' and special education teachers' demographics:
| Peer Teacher | Special Education Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4% | Male, 24.6% Female, 75.4% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 3.6% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 8% |