Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between special education teachers and occupational therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an occupational therapist has an average salary of $75,707, which is higher than the $54,290 average annual salary of a special education teacher.
The top three skills for a special education teacher include classroom management, autism and behavior management. The most important skills for an occupational therapist are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.
| Special Education Teacher | Occupational Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $54,290 | $75,707 |
| Hourly rate | $26.10 | $36.40 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 67,699 | 78,315 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
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.
An occupational therapist specializes in treating patients who are recovering from illnesses or disabilities to help them adapt and overcome the physical and mental difficulties they face in their daily lives. The responsibilities of an occupational therapist revolve around examining a patient's medical history and conducting different kinds of assessments to determine what type of treatment a patient should receive. Furthermore, an occupational therapist must build rapport with a patient to make them feel at ease and coordinate with their guardian or family to discuss the recommended ways to help the patient adjust and recuperate.
Special education teachers and occupational therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Education Teacher | Occupational Therapist | |
| Average salary | $54,290 | $75,707 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $73,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Salinas, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Baltimore City Public Schools | Waters |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a special education teacher and an occupational therapist in terms of educational background:
| Special Education Teacher | Occupational Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Special Education | Occupational Therapy |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between special education teachers' and occupational therapists' demographics:
| Special Education Teacher | Occupational Therapist | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.6% Female, 75.4% | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 14% |