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The differences between special educators and floater 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 $28,813 average annual salary of a floater teacher.
The top three skills for a special educator include autism, student learning and math. The most important skills for a floater teacher are CPR, childhood, and classroom management.
| Special Educator | Floater Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $53,565 | $28,813 |
| Hourly rate | $25.75 | $13.85 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 62,545 | 78,131 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| 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.
A floating teacher is in charge of teaching in various rooms and buildings, unlike most teachers with fixed room assignments. There are also instances where they teach at different schools. However, just like most teachers, their responsibilities still revolve around preparing lesson plans and coursework assessments, grading the students' papers, facilitating discussions, and monitoring the students' progress, assisting them when necessary. Furthermore, as a floating teacher, it is essential to maintain a safe and effective learning environment for students.
Special educators and floater teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Educator | Floater Teacher | |
| Average salary | $53,565 | $28,813 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $75,000 | Between $21,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oceanside, NY | Chili, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Capistrano Unified | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a special educator and a floater teacher in terms of educational background:
| Special Educator | Floater Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Special Education | Early Childhood Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Boston University |
Here are the differences between special educators' and floater teachers' demographics:
| Special Educator | Floater Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.3% Female, 78.7% | Male, 8.5% Female, 91.5% |
| 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, 9.8% 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% |