Physical education instructor vs physical education teacher

The differences between physical education instructors and physical education teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a physical education instructor, becoming a physical education teacher takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a physical education teacher has an average salary of $49,652, which is higher than the $41,717 average annual salary of a physical education instructor.

The top three skills for a physical education instructor include classroom management, CPR and health education. The most important skills for a physical education teacher are classroom management, professional development, and student learning.

Physical education instructor vs physical education teacher overview

	Physical Education Instructor	Physical Education Teacher
Yearly salary	$41,717	$49,652
Hourly rate	$20.06	$23.87
Growth rate	19%	12%
Number of jobs	86,755	109,956
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	37	46
Years of experience	12	2

Physical education instructor vs physical education teacher salary

Physical education instructors and physical education teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physical Education Instructor	Physical Education Teacher
Average salary	$41,717	$49,652
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $57,000	Between $35,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Burlingame, CA	Clinton, MD
Highest paying state	Alaska	Maryland
Best paying company	Cornell University	California State University
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between physical education instructor and physical education teacher education

There are a few differences between a physical education instructor and a physical education teacher in terms of educational background:

	Physical Education Instructor	Physical Education Teacher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Health Education	Health Education
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Physical education instructor vs physical education teacher demographics

Here are the differences between physical education instructors' and physical education teachers' demographics:

	Physical Education Instructor	Physical Education Teacher
Average age	37	46
Gender ratio	Male, 65.5% Female, 34.5%	Male, 60.6% Female, 39.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 5.1% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	13%	16%

Differences between physical education instructor and physical education teacher duties and responsibilities

Physical education instructor example responsibilities.

Develop organize syllabus to direct students in achieving subject knowledge require for course completion.
Help t implement and test other students for IEP goals.
Head coach of several junior varsity and varsity sports, including football, softball and basketball.
Help with compliance to make sure softball and cross country student-athletes will be eligible once enroll.
Coach the after school sports program in cross-country, track and field, basketball, soccer and baseball.
Create lesson plans using activities to help students with specific disabilities and used that to create and IEP.

Physical education teacher example responsibilities.

Prepare and maintain an adaptive physical education program for students with I.E.P.
Full time physical education teacher (grades k-12) in charge of students with a wide range of disabilities.
Set up community inter school/divisional sports tournaments including basketball, volleyball and softball events.
Design and implement developmentally appropriate, motivating lessons as warranted through IEP goals for adaptive physical education class.
Maintain NYS OASAS records weekly.
Maintain control of children from Pre-K through 5th grade.

Physical education instructor vs physical education teacher skills

Common physical education instructor skills

Classroom Management, 15%
CPR, 9%
Health Education, 9%
Adaptive, 8%
Volleyball, 6%
Syllabus, 5%

Common physical education teacher skills

Classroom Management, 23%
Professional Development, 6%
Student Learning, 5%
Public Schools, 4%
K-12, 4%
Physical Education Curriculum, 4%

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Physical Education Instructor vs Physical Education Teacher

Updated January 8, 2025

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