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The differences between science instructors and peer teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a science instructor and a peer teacher. Additionally, a peer teacher has an average salary of $49,811, which is higher than the $48,925 average annual salary of a science instructor.
The top three skills for a science instructor include classroom management, kids and professional development. The most important skills for a peer teacher are classroom management, professional development, and learning environment.
| Science Instructor | Peer Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $48,925 | $49,811 |
| Hourly rate | $23.52 | $23.95 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 40,936 | 54,705 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Science Instructor guides the student in understanding important concepts in science, which may include problem-solving and gathering evidence in supporting concepts or ideas. Their responsibilities include presenting science demonstrations, checking assignments, grading tests, and writing lesson plans. Instructors also need to evaluate each student's performance. They are also required to be excellent in written and verbal skills and communicate effectively with students, parents, and colleagues.
A peer teacher is a student teaching another student, typically at college or university level. It is a concept that can be traced back to ancient Greece as used by philosophers such as Aristotle. Peer teaching is often giving more knowledgeable advanced undergraduates or graduate students a faculty teaching responsibility for undergraduate students. It is also referred to as surrogate teaching or proctor program and can be tutoring one student or a small group.
Science instructors and peer teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Science Instructor | Peer Teacher | |
| Average salary | $48,925 | $49,811 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $78,000 | Between $37,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Kern Community College District | Columbia International University |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a science instructor and a peer teacher in terms of educational background:
| Science Instructor | Peer Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Biology | Health Education |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between science instructors' and peer teachers' demographics:
| Science Instructor | Peer Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2% | Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 3.6% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 3.6% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |