Reading specialist vs director of special education

The differences between reading specialists and directors of special education can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a director of special education has an average salary of $80,520, which is higher than the $57,978 average annual salary of a reading specialist.

The top three skills for a reading specialist include language arts, student learning and assessment data. The most important skills for a director of special education are professional development, autism, and education programs.

Reading specialist vs director of special education overview

	Reading Specialist	Director Of Special Education
Yearly salary	$57,978	$80,520
Hourly rate	$27.87	$38.71
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	2,386	21,975
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

What does a reading specialist do?

Reach truck operators are responsible for safely using reach trucks (forklifts). They operate their reach truck to load, move, and unload new warehouse or sizeable retail store materials. Operators will need various mechanical and communication skills, as well as good visual acuity. Obtaining the proper licensure and understanding the safety protocols involved with heavy machinery is important to the job.

What does a director of special education do?

A Director Of Special Education plans, implements, and maintains special education programs and services. They also consult with parents of students enrolled in the program.

Reading specialist vs director of special education salary

Reading specialists and directors of special education have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Reading Specialist	Director Of Special Education
Average salary	$57,978	$80,520
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $76,000	Between $55,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Maryland
Best paying company	Central State University	JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between reading specialist and director of special education education

There are a few differences between a reading specialist and a director of special education in terms of educational background:

	Reading Specialist	Director Of Special Education
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Elementary Education	Special Education
Most common college	Northwestern University	Columbia University in the City of New York

Reading specialist vs director of special education demographics

Here are the differences between reading specialists' and directors of special education' demographics:

	Reading Specialist	Director Of Special Education
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 13.3% Female, 86.7%	Male, 29.6% Female, 70.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 3.6% White, 70.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 3.6% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between reading specialist and director of special education duties and responsibilities

Reading specialist example responsibilities.

Assist children on the autism spectrum academically and socially to achieve integration into a mainstream educational environment.
Coordinate and direct the annual drama production.
Provide direct services to the RTI students through the best guide reading practices.
Coordinate and execute all festive cultural events for families of students in grades k-12.
Organize school-wide educational events and activities specific to the needs of children with autism.
Review basics of writing essays, discussion of reading selection, and development of writing skills.

Director of special education example responsibilities.

Manage all office procedures including successfully meeting DCFS visits and requirements.
Provide oversight of fiduciary hold, non-publicly trade assets within the bank's wealth management department.
Integrate a customer relationship management application for improve tracking and communication for all study abroad relate students and activities.
Integrate a customer relationship management application for improve tracking and communication for all study abroad relate students and activities.

Reading specialist vs director of special education skills

Common reading specialist skills

Language Arts, 6%
Student Learning, 5%
Assessment Data, 5%
K-8, 4%
Staff Development, 4%
Instructional Strategies, 4%

Common director of special education skills

Professional Development, 13%
Autism, 10%
Education Programs, 6%
Behavior Management, 6%
K-12, 5%
IEPs, 5%

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Reading Specialist vs Director Of Special Education

Updated January 8, 2025

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