Post job

Public school teacher vs high school teacher

The differences between public school teachers and high school teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a high school teacher has an average salary of $52,441, which is higher than the $42,231 average annual salary of a public school teacher.

The top three skills for a public school teacher include public schools, classroom management and K-12. The most important skills for a high school teacher are classroom management, professional development, and culinary.

Public school teacher vs high school teacher overview

Public School TeacherHigh School Teacher
Yearly salary$42,231$52,441
Hourly rate$20.30$25.21
Growth rate4%5%
Number of jobs79,47183,554
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4243
Years of experience-2

What does a public school teacher do?

Typically, public school teachers prepare lesson plans and give instructions to students in their assigned school. The teachers establish and implement grade appropriate course work to align the academic requirements of their students. They evaluate and monitor the performance of the students as well as assess and document their progress. Most often, they are exposed to complex tasks within the function of their job. Also, they may take part in the implementation of individual education plans for certain students.

What does a high school teacher do?

High school teachers play an essential role in preparing students for college or life following graduation. They typically teach students from the ninth to 12th grades. They plan and develop lessons, evaluate their students' strengths, weaknesses and abilities, and grade their exams and assignments. Other duties include working with individual students to challenge and improve their abilities, developing and implementing classroom rules, and overseeing students outside the classroom. Some of them also take on additional tasks, such as advising academic clubs or coaching sports teams.

Public school teacher vs high school teacher salary

Public school teachers and high school teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Public School TeacherHigh School Teacher
Average salary$42,231$52,441
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $52,000Between $37,000 And $72,000
Highest paying CityBaltimore, MDNew York, NY
Highest paying stateMarylandNew York
Best paying companyBaltimore City Public SchoolsBoston Public Schools
Best paying industryEducationProfessional

Differences between public school teacher and high school teacher education

There are a few differences between a public school teacher and a high school teacher in terms of educational background:

Public School TeacherHigh School Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorEducationEducation
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaHarvard University

Public school teacher vs high school teacher demographics

Here are the differences between public school teachers' and high school teachers' demographics:

Public School TeacherHigh School Teacher
Average age4243
Gender ratioMale, 39.3% Female, 60.7%Male, 46.5% Female, 53.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 3.6% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage9%12%

Differences between public school teacher and high school teacher duties and responsibilities

Public school teacher example responsibilities.

  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Modify curriculum to meet the needs of ESL students.
  • Work with ESL pupils in addition to mainstream students.
  • Participate in annual IEP meetings for individual students
  • Deliver language arts instruction through a variety of literary genres including classic literary texts, creative nonfiction, and contemporary fiction.
  • Plan and deliver instruction for ESOL and ESE reading groups
  • Show more

High school teacher example responsibilities.

  • Coordinate training for the after-school soccer league, manage game schedules and transportation for the school team
  • Plan English conversation and writing classes, grade assignments, design and lead an English summer camp course for freshmen.
  • Manage FBLA, assist with meeting notes, financial records, and agendas for meetings, events, and fundraisers.
  • Coordinate and conduct LPAC meetings, ESL testing, and state testing.
  • Create and implement district-wide general math, pre-algebra, and science curriculum.
  • Facilitate and teach online students in California and Colorado: English, history; economics
  • Show more

Public school teacher vs high school teacher skills

Common public school teacher skills
  • Public Schools, 20%
  • Classroom Management, 16%
  • K-12, 7%
  • Student Learning, 4%
  • Language Arts, 4%
  • K-6, 4%
Common high school teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 12%
  • Professional Development, 7%
  • Culinary, 5%
  • K-12, 5%
  • Curriculum Development, 5%
  • Student Learning, 5%

Browse education, training, and library jobs