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Secondary teacher vs teacher

The differences between secondary teachers and 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 $47,989 average annual salary of a teacher.

The top three skills for a secondary teacher include public schools, classroom management and mathematics. The most important skills for a teacher are ESL, handle scheduling, and kids.

Secondary teacher vs teacher overview

Secondary TeacherTeacher
Yearly salary$55,261$47,989
Hourly rate$26.57$23.07
Growth rate5%4%
Number of jobs68,36971,918
Job satisfaction-4.14
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
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 teacher do?

Being a teacher is one of the most passionate professions, among others. Teachers educate, motivate, and guide every generation of learners to prepare them for the real world. Every teacher is unique and has their own teaching styles and methods depending on the subject they teach and the age of their students. Oftentimes they also function as a parent, counselor, coach, friend, and even a lawmaker. There is essentially no limit to the roles a teacher portrays.

Secondary teacher vs teacher salary

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

Secondary TeacherTeacher
Average salary$55,261$47,989
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $77,000Between $32,000 And $70,000
Highest paying CityBaltimore, MDBaltimore, MD
Highest paying stateMarylandMaryland
Best paying companyBaltimore City Public SchoolsKing Low Heywood Thomas
Best paying industryEducationEducation

Differences between secondary teacher and teacher education

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

Secondary TeacherTeacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorEducationElementary Education
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Secondary teacher vs teacher demographics

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

Secondary TeacherTeacher
Average age4342
Gender ratioMale, 36.7% Female, 63.3%Male, 25.7% Female, 74.3%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage12%9%

Differences between secondary teacher and 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.
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Teacher example responsibilities.

  • Work closely with co-teacher to manage and co-teach curriculum to a large group.
  • Target at risk and high achieving students using levele readers and DRA strategies.
  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Develop social studies and geography curriculum.
  • Provide kindergarten readiness in approaching phonemic awareness, phonics, and introductory math skills.
  • Attend and participate in ESL professional development activities, conferences/workshops, curriculum/program planning, & special events and activities.
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Secondary teacher vs teacher skills

Common secondary teacher skills
  • Public Schools, 11%
  • Classroom Management, 9%
  • Mathematics, 9%
  • Math, 9%
  • Professional Development, 5%
  • Language Arts, 5%
Common teacher skills
  • ESL, 17%
  • Handle Scheduling, 15%
  • Kids, 12%
  • Classroom Management, 7%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Curriculum Development, 4%

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