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The differences between school psychology specialists and special education teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special education teacher has an average salary of $54,290, which is higher than the $41,695 average annual salary of a school psychology specialist.
The top three skills for a school psychology specialist include professional development, school administration and K-12. The most important skills for a special education teacher are classroom management, autism, and behavior management.
| School Psychology Specialist | Special Education Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $41,695 | $54,290 |
| Hourly rate | $20.05 | $26.10 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 21,246 | 67,699 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
School Psychology Specialists support a students' ability to find out and teachers' ability to show. These specialists apply their expertise in learning mental health and behavior, as well as emotions. They partner with teachers, school administrators, and family to create a safe learning environment for everyone. School psychology specialists must have the skills and knowledge of family-school-community collaboration, school-wide practices to promote learning, and diversity in development and learning. They may provide services in preschools, school-based health and mental health centers, and universities.
A special education teacher is responsible for teaching students with disabilities. Special education teachers are trained professionals to provide distinct learning instructions for children with special cases for them to achieve their potentials and improve their self-confidence. A special education teacher must have excellent communication and organizational skills to assist the students with their learning areas. Special education teachers should be able to come up with engaging activities to support the students' behavioral and intellectual development.
School psychology specialists and special education teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Psychology Specialist | Special Education Teacher | |
| Average salary | $41,695 | $54,290 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $60,000 | Between $39,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Juneau, AK | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | Baltimore City Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a school psychology specialist and a special education teacher in terms of educational background:
| School Psychology Specialist | Special Education Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Special Education |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between school psychology specialists' and special education teachers' demographics:
| School Psychology Specialist | Special Education Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5% | Male, 24.6% Female, 75.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 3.6% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 8% |