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The differences between program instructors and esl instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a program instructor, becoming an esl instructor takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an esl instructor has an average salary of $53,226, which is higher than the $42,380 average annual salary of a program instructor.
The top three skills for a program instructor include patients, K-12 and math. The most important skills for an esl instructor are grammar, classroom management, and language.
| Program Instructor | ESL Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $42,380 | $53,226 |
| Hourly rate | $20.38 | $25.59 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 92,369 | 26,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A program instructor is responsible for facilitating indoor and outdoor programs with various goals and objectives catering to different participants. Program instructors must have excellent communication skills, especially on gaining the participants' attention and engaging them to join the activities prepared for the day. They also maintain a safe and creative learning environment for everyone, observing each participant's behavior and interests, developing group cooperation, and fostering personal development. A program instructor reiterates safety procedures and regulations during the program for everyone's strict compliance and immediately addresses conflicts soon as they arise.
An ESL instructor is responsible for teaching the English language, usually to non-native speakers, discussing all the disciplines of the English language, both written and verbal, and in some cases, even its nature and history. ESL instructors create a comprehensive lesson plan for the English language learners, prepare learning materials, and conduct individual and group activities to test the learners' knowledge and progress. They also evaluate the learners' performance by identifying areas of improvement and adjust teaching strategies to address each learner's difficulties and maintain an engaging classroom environment.
Program instructors and esl instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Instructor | ESL Instructor | |
| Average salary | $42,380 | $53,226 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $60,000 | Between $36,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Boston Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Education | Retail |
There are a few differences between a program instructor and an esl instructor in terms of educational background:
| Program Instructor | ESL Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Psychology | English |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Columbia University in the City of New York |
Here are the differences between program instructors' and esl instructors' demographics:
| Program Instructor | ESL Instructor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% | Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |