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Professional educator vs head teacher

The differences between professional educators and head teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a head teacher has an average salary of $51,715, which is higher than the $50,068 average annual salary of a professional educator.

The top three skills for a professional educator include classroom management, curriculum development and training programs. The most important skills for a head teacher are classroom management, child care, and creative curriculum.

Professional educator vs head teacher overview

Professional EducatorHead Teacher
Yearly salary$50,068$51,715
Hourly rate$24.07$24.86
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs52,44973,756
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4242
Years of experience--

What does a professional educator do?

Professional educators have skills in critical thinking, patience, communication, organization, imaginative thinking, leadership, teamwork, and time management. Those who choose this career field will be required to provide quality educational programs and promote their profession above any personal gain and possess accountability to clients, community, parents, and students.

What does a head teacher do?

A headteacher is responsible for monitoring the students' overall learning process, managing and evaluating the performance of school staff, implementing effective learning strategies for the students, encouraging them to reach their maximum potential, and gain self-confidence. Headteachers often lead meetings, especially discussing school activities and the child's performance to their parents, implementing safety policies, and enforcing disciplinary actions for policy violations. A headteacher must have excellent leadership and communication skills to handle the students' needs and support their high-quality performance.

Professional educator vs head teacher salary

Professional educators and head teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Professional EducatorHead Teacher
Average salary$50,068$51,715
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $73,000Between $32,000 And $83,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYBoston, MA
Highest paying stateNew YorkMassachusetts
Best paying companyHealthTrustGrand View Health
Best paying industryEducationRetail

Differences between professional educator and head teacher education

There are a few differences between a professional educator and a head teacher in terms of educational background:

Professional EducatorHead Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorBusinessEarly Childhood Education
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaNorthwestern University

Professional educator vs head teacher demographics

Here are the differences between professional educators' and head teachers' demographics:

Professional EducatorHead Teacher
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 35.0% Female, 65.0%Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 3.6% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between professional educator and head teacher duties and responsibilities

Professional educator example responsibilities.

  • Manage revolving caseload of students with IEP team including initials, transfer placements, manifestation determinations.
  • Design and organize workshops for parents to provide tools in assisting students to increase literacy and mathematics achievement.
  • Provide urban education, multicultural education and leadership training for a diverse population of new teachers.

Head teacher example responsibilities.

  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Plan and implement cohesive, age-appropriate curriculum for severely disable children in Pre-K program.
  • Develop and implement age-appropriate curriculum for toddler program, ensuring that appropriate opportunities are provided in order to maximize learning potential.
  • Set up the physical environment to meet the changing needs of infants and toddlers in accordance with ECERS and ITERS-R assessments.

Professional educator vs head teacher skills

Common professional educator skills
  • Classroom Management, 8%
  • Curriculum Development, 7%
  • Training Programs, 7%
  • English Language, 7%
  • Autism, 6%
  • Professional Development, 5%
Common head teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 26%
  • Child Care, 13%
  • Creative Curriculum, 5%
  • Language Arts, 5%
  • Pre-K, 5%
  • Mathematics, 5%

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