Physical education teacher vs physics instructor

The differences between physical education teachers and physics instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a physical education teacher and a physics instructor. Additionally, a physics instructor has an average salary of $59,031, which is higher than the $49,652 average annual salary of a physical education teacher.

The top three skills for a physical education teacher include classroom management, professional development and student learning. The most important skills for a physics instructor are MCAT, mathematics, and syllabus.

Physical education teacher vs physics instructor overview

	Physical Education Teacher	Physics Instructor
Yearly salary	$49,652	$59,031
Hourly rate	$23.87	$28.38
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	109,956	24,814
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Physical education teacher vs physics instructor salary

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

	Physical Education Teacher	Physics Instructor
Average salary	$49,652	$59,031
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $68,000	Between $40,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	Clinton, MD	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Maryland	New York
Best paying company	California State University	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	Education	Health Care

Differences between physical education teacher and physics instructor education

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

	Physical Education Teacher	Physics Instructor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Health Education	Physics
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Physical education teacher vs physics instructor demographics

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

	Physical Education Teacher	Physics Instructor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 60.6% Female, 39.4%	Male, 70.9% Female, 29.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 11.5% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between physical education teacher and physics instructor duties and responsibilities

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.

Physics instructor example responsibilities.

Manage courses via online Moodle2 platform, including recording lectures and uploading PowerPoint notes.
Develop lesson plans and teaching strategies for math classes to improve student performance.
Develop and teach 1st and 2nd semester calculus and non-calculus base general physics and the associated lab courses.
Develop and modify FORTRAN codes for many complex calculations.
Prepare the lectures, assignments, labs, and examine material.
Work with the local schools and area residents to implement youth volleyball and basketball leagues

Physical education teacher vs physics instructor skills

Common physical education teacher skills

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

Common physics instructor skills

MCAT, 20%
Mathematics, 12%
Syllabus, 10%
Lab Experiments, 7%
Chemistry, 7%
Physical Therapy, 6%

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Physical Education Teacher vs Physics Instructor

Updated January 8, 2025

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