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The differences between special educators and high 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 $52,441 average annual salary of a high school teacher.
The top three skills for a special educator include autism, student learning and math. The most important skills for a high school teacher are classroom management, professional development, and culinary.
| Special Educator | High School Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $53,565 | $52,441 |
| Hourly rate | $25.75 | $25.21 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 62,545 | 83,554 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
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.
High school teachers play an essential role in preparing students for college or life following graduation. They typically teach students from the ninth to 12th grades. They plan and develop lessons, evaluate their students' strengths, weaknesses and abilities, and grade their exams and assignments. Other duties include working with individual students to challenge and improve their abilities, developing and implementing classroom rules, and overseeing students outside the classroom. Some of them also take on additional tasks, such as advising academic clubs or coaching sports teams.
Special educators and high school teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Educator | High School Teacher | |
| Average salary | $53,565 | $52,441 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $75,000 | Between $37,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oceanside, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Capistrano Unified | Boston Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a special educator and a high school teacher in terms of educational background:
| Special Educator | High School Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Special Education | Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between special educators' and high school teachers' demographics:
| Special Educator | High School Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.3% Female, 78.7% | Male, 46.5% Female, 53.5% |
| 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, 8.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 3.6% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |