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The differences between special educators and elementary school teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special educator has an average salary of $53,565, which is higher than the $52,161 average annual salary of an elementary school teacher.
The top three skills for a special educator include autism, student learning and math. The most important skills for an elementary school teacher are classroom management, math, and professional development.
| Special Educator | Elementary School Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $53,565 | $52,161 |
| Hourly rate | $25.75 | $25.08 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 62,545 | 84,607 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
Elementary school teachers are trained to provide education to children from kindergarten through fifth grade. The teachers are responsible for children's emotional and educational growth in the classroom. They manage the resources and materials to be used for their education. It is part of their duties to evaluate the students' performance, social development, physical health, and behavior. Also, they adapt to teaching methods and instructions to meet the interests and needs of the children.
Special educators and elementary school teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Educator | Elementary School Teacher | |
| Average salary | $53,565 | $52,161 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $75,000 | Between $37,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oceanside, NY | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | New York | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Capistrano Unified | German International School New York |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a special educator and an elementary school teacher in terms of educational background:
| Special Educator | Elementary School Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Special Education | Elementary Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between special educators' and elementary school teachers' demographics:
| Special Educator | Elementary School Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.3% Female, 78.7% | Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |