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The differences between school aides and head start teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a head start teacher has an average salary of $33,865, which is higher than the $29,896 average annual salary of a school aide.
The top three skills for a school aide include CPR, role model and direct supervision. The most important skills for a head start teacher are kids, math, and CPR.
| School Aide | Head Start Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $29,896 | $33,865 |
| Hourly rate | $14.37 | $16.28 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 69,231 | 67,747 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
School aides assist teachers in supervising students throughout the school year. The aides help teachers in their record-keeping tasks like grading assignments and taking attendance in class. Some of them help teachers keep the class running smoothly, while others work with students with special needs. They attend staff meetings, in-service training, and school programs. It is part of their job to establish spreadsheets and databases to improve the inventory management of tuition payments and uniforms. They also apply planning, prioritization, and project management skills toward achieving deadlines while they maintain high-quality standards.
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.
School aides and head start teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Aide | Head Start Teacher | |
| Average salary | $29,896 | $33,865 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $39,000 | Between $23,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Brentwood, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | St. Clare Catholic School | Topeka Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a school aide and a head start teacher in terms of educational background:
| School Aide | Head Start Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Early Childhood Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between school aides' and head start teachers' demographics:
| School Aide | Head Start Teacher | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.4% Female, 72.6% | Male, 7.9% Female, 92.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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 | 6% | 5% |