Post job

Secondary teacher vs head teacher

The differences between secondary teachers and head teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a secondary teacher has an average salary of $55,261, which is higher than the $51,715 average annual salary of a head teacher.

The top three skills for a secondary teacher include public schools, classroom management and mathematics. The most important skills for a head teacher are classroom management, child care, and creative curriculum.

Secondary teacher vs head teacher overview

Secondary TeacherHead Teacher
Yearly salary$55,261$51,715
Hourly rate$26.57$24.86
Growth rate5%4%
Number of jobs68,36973,756
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4342
Years of experience2-

What does a secondary teacher do?

A secondary teacher plans subject lessons and presents them to learners using creative and engaging teaching methods. They assess the learners' abilities, strengths, and weaknesses and handle them appropriately. These professionals ensure a disciplined classroom by creating and maintaining rules that allow learners to ask questions with no fear and feel comfortable when brainstorming. Moreover, secondary teachers create lesson plans for learners who struggle with specific challenging concepts or when the classroom sizes change.

What does a head teacher do?

A headteacher is responsible for monitoring the students' overall learning process, managing and evaluating the performance of school staff, implementing effective learning strategies for the students, encouraging them to reach their maximum potential, and gain self-confidence. Headteachers often lead meetings, especially discussing school activities and the child's performance to their parents, implementing safety policies, and enforcing disciplinary actions for policy violations. A headteacher must have excellent leadership and communication skills to handle the students' needs and support their high-quality performance.

Secondary teacher vs head teacher salary

Secondary teachers and head teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Secondary TeacherHead Teacher
Average salary$55,261$51,715
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $77,000Between $32,000 And $83,000
Highest paying CityBaltimore, MDBoston, MA
Highest paying stateMarylandMassachusetts
Best paying companyBaltimore City Public SchoolsGrand View Health
Best paying industryEducationRetail

Differences between secondary teacher and head teacher education

There are a few differences between a secondary teacher and a head teacher in terms of educational background:

Secondary TeacherHead Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorEducationEarly Childhood Education
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityNorthwestern University

Secondary teacher vs head teacher demographics

Here are the differences between secondary teachers' and head teachers' demographics:

Secondary TeacherHead Teacher
Average age4342
Gender ratioMale, 36.7% Female, 63.3%Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage12%9%

Differences between secondary teacher and head teacher duties and responsibilities

Secondary teacher example responsibilities.

  • Lead IEP meetings, and participate in all team meetings focuses on emotional and behavior issues.
  • Manage FBLA, assist with meeting notes, financial records, and agendas for meetings, events, and fundraisers.
  • Conduct group and one-on-one math, reading and writing activities.
  • Develop and teach ESL curriculum to Taiwanese elementary, junior high, and high school students.
  • Participate in quarterly curriculum reviews and trainings with other math teachers in the school network and district.
  • Provide students with the fundamentals of a life-long love of literature and a comprehension of its place in society.
  • Show more

Head teacher example responsibilities.

  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Plan and implement cohesive, age-appropriate curriculum for severely disable children in Pre-K program.
  • Develop and implement age-appropriate curriculum for toddler program, ensuring that appropriate opportunities are provided in order to maximize learning potential.
  • Set up the physical environment to meet the changing needs of infants and toddlers in accordance with ECERS and ITERS-R assessments.

Secondary teacher vs head teacher skills

Common secondary teacher skills
  • Public Schools, 11%
  • Classroom Management, 9%
  • Mathematics, 9%
  • Math, 9%
  • Professional Development, 5%
  • Language Arts, 5%
Common head teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 26%
  • Child Care, 13%
  • Creative Curriculum, 5%
  • Language Arts, 5%
  • Pre-K, 5%
  • Mathematics, 5%

Browse education, training, and library jobs