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The differences between special needs teachers and early childhood teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special needs teacher has an average salary of $47,334, which is higher than the $33,205 average annual salary of an early childhood teacher.
The top three skills for a special needs teacher include autism, behavioral issues and mathematics. The most important skills for an early childhood teacher are CPR, child development, and professional development.
| Special Needs Teacher | Early Childhood Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $47,334 | $33,205 |
| Hourly rate | $22.76 | $15.96 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 74,039 | 56,821 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A Special Needs Teacher works with children and young people who need support with their learning because they find it difficult. They evaluate students skills to determine their needs, develop teaching plans, and adapt lessons to meet the needs of students.
An early childhood teacher specializes in handling and teaching young learners as they prepare for their formal schooling stage. Their responsibilities revolve around addressing and meeting the needs of students, organizing recreational activities for learning processes, and devising strategies to help the learners with their interpersonal and emotional growth. Furthermore, as an early childhood teacher, it is essential to monitor the children's progress and provide updates to their parents, all while maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone.
Special needs teachers and early childhood teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Needs Teacher | Early Childhood Teacher | |
| Average salary | $47,334 | $33,205 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $65,000 | Between $22,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | San Mateo County Office Of Education | Governors State University |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a special needs teacher and an early childhood teacher in terms of educational background:
| Special Needs Teacher | Early Childhood Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Special Education | Early Childhood Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between special needs teachers' and early childhood teachers' demographics:
| Special Needs Teacher | Early Childhood Teacher | |
| Average age | 43 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2% | Male, 7.6% Female, 92.4% |
| 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, 8.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 5.4% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |