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The differences between special education teachers and special educators 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 $53,565 average annual salary of a special educator.
The top three skills for a special education teacher include classroom management, autism and behavior management. The most important skills for a special educator are autism, student learning, and math.
| Special Education Teacher | Special Educator | |
| Yearly salary | $54,290 | $53,565 |
| Hourly rate | $26.10 | $25.75 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 67,699 | 62,545 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A special education teacher's role is to facilitate learning for students with disabilities. The responsibilities of a special education teacher typically revolve around identifying the needs of students, devising lesson plans and strategies to meet their needs, developing test structure to assess their learning, and assisting them in areas of difficulties. It is also essential to coordinate with families and guardians, reporting to them should there be any problems. Furthermore, as a special education teacher, it is necessary to monitor the students' progress and behavior, maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for them.
Special education teachers and special educators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Education Teacher | Special Educator | |
| Average salary | $54,290 | $53,565 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $73,000 | Between $38,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Oceanside, NY |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | New York |
| Best paying company | Baltimore City Public Schools | Capistrano Unified |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a special education teacher and a special educator in terms of educational background:
| Special Education Teacher | Special Educator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Special Education | Special Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between special education teachers' and special educators' demographics:
| Special Education Teacher | Special Educator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.6% Female, 75.4% | Male, 21.3% Female, 78.7% |
| 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, 9.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 3.6% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |