Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between preschool 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 preschool lead teacher and a head start teacher. Additionally, a head start teacher has an average salary of $33,865, which is higher than the $33,176 average annual salary of a preschool lead teacher.
The top three skills for a preschool lead teacher include CPR, professional development and child care. The most important skills for a head start teacher are kids, math, and CPR.
| Preschool Lead Teacher | Head Start Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $33,176 | $33,865 |
| Hourly rate | $15.95 | $16.28 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 54,870 | 67,747 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A preschool lead teacher is responsible for managing the overall learning progress of preschool students. Preschool lead teachers to develop engaging and fun activities for the young learners to monitor their personal and social development. They also utilize learning techniques suitable for young learners' minds to improve their competencies and build self-confidence. They create progress reports and communicate the children's development to their parents. A preschool lead teacher should always adhere to the school regulations to ensure a safe and secure environment for the children.
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.
Preschool lead teachers and head start teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Preschool Lead Teacher | Head Start Teacher | |
| Average salary | $33,176 | $33,865 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $45,000 | Between $23,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | Topeka Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a preschool lead teacher and a head start teacher in terms of educational background:
| Preschool Lead Teacher | Head Start Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Early Childhood Education | Early Childhood Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between preschool lead teachers' and head start teachers' demographics:
| Preschool Lead Teacher | Head Start Teacher | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.0% Female, 94.0% | Male, 7.9% Female, 92.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.0% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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 | 5% | 5% |