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The differences between special education teachers and speech language pathologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a speech language pathologist has an average salary of $62,340, 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 a speech language pathologist are patients, SLP, and speech-language pathology.
| Special Education Teacher | Speech Language Pathologist | |
| Yearly salary | $54,290 | $62,340 |
| Hourly rate | $26.10 | $29.97 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 67,699 | 25,617 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
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 speech-language pathologist specializes in diagnosing disorders in speech, language, and communication among children and adults. They are also responsible for devising and providing suitable treatments and therapeutic solutions that would improve a patient's condition. With each case varying from the rest, a speech-language pathologist must conduct an extensive assessment, research, analysis, and observation. Aside from providing treatments, a speech-language pathologist can also supervise other personnel in the same field, engage in various programs to share expertise, and provide consultations.
Special education teachers and speech language pathologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Education Teacher | Speech Language Pathologist | |
| Average salary | $54,290 | $62,340 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $73,000 | Between $43,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Baltimore City Public Schools | Northeastern University |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a special education teacher and a speech language pathologist in terms of educational background:
| Special Education Teacher | Speech Language Pathologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Special Education | Communication Disorders Sciences |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between special education teachers' and speech language pathologists' demographics:
| Special Education Teacher | Speech Language Pathologist | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.6% Female, 75.4% | Male, 8.9% Female, 91.1% |
| 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, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 4.5% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |