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Teacher aide vs head teacher

The differences between teacher aides and head teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a head teacher has an average salary of $51,715, which is higher than the $29,480 average annual salary of a teacher aide.

The top three skills for a teacher aide include child care, CPR and mathematics. The most important skills for a head teacher are classroom management, child care, and creative curriculum.

Teacher aide vs head teacher overview

Teacher AideHead Teacher
Yearly salary$29,480$51,715
Hourly rate$14.17$24.86
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs106,20773,756
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4442
Years of experience--

What does a teacher aide do?

Teacher aides help lead teachers in managing the classroom. They assist teachers in conducting classroom sessions by setting up the classroom in advance, sourcing materials needed for class activities, helping in presentations, and guiding students during class activities. Teacher aides are also responsible for maintaining classroom cleanliness and helping clean up after the children. They also help manage the students during breaks and during classes. They help the lead teacher keep the students'students' attention. They also assist the students in any other tasks that they may need.

What does a head teacher do?

A headteacher is responsible for monitoring the students' overall learning process, managing and evaluating the performance of school staff, implementing effective learning strategies for the students, encouraging them to reach their maximum potential, and gain self-confidence. Headteachers often lead meetings, especially discussing school activities and the child's performance to their parents, implementing safety policies, and enforcing disciplinary actions for policy violations. A headteacher must have excellent leadership and communication skills to handle the students' needs and support their high-quality performance.

Teacher aide vs head teacher salary

Teacher aides and head teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Teacher AideHead Teacher
Average salary$29,480$51,715
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $36,000Between $32,000 And $83,000
Highest paying CityAntioch, CABoston, MA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandMassachusetts
Best paying companyBoston Public SchoolsGrand View Health
Best paying industryFinanceRetail

Differences between teacher aide and head teacher education

There are a few differences between a teacher aide and a head teacher in terms of educational background:

Teacher AideHead Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorPsychologyEarly Childhood Education
Most common collegeDuke UniversityNorthwestern University

Teacher aide vs head teacher demographics

Here are the differences between teacher aides' and head teachers' demographics:

Teacher AideHead Teacher
Average age4442
Gender ratioMale, 17.4% Female, 82.6%Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 8.2% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage6%9%

Differences between teacher aide and head teacher duties and responsibilities

Teacher aide example responsibilities.

  • Work closely with co-teacher to manage and co-teach curriculum to a large group.
  • Promote oral language, ensure a safe classroom environment, positive student interaction, and effectively implement lessons in kindergarten.
  • Certify in blood borne pathogens training and CPI train.
  • Call upon to assist with CPI interventions and control.
  • Attend safety, CPR, and administrative meetings, and teacher training workshops.
  • Serve as a preschool classroom aide in a classroom for an extend school year program for children with autism
  • Show more

Head teacher example responsibilities.

  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Plan and implement cohesive, age-appropriate curriculum for severely disable children in Pre-K program.
  • Develop and implement age-appropriate curriculum for toddler program, ensuring that appropriate opportunities are provided in order to maximize learning potential.
  • Set up the physical environment to meet the changing needs of infants and toddlers in accordance with ECERS and ITERS-R assessments.

Teacher aide vs head teacher skills

Common teacher aide skills
  • Child Care, 21%
  • CPR, 12%
  • Mathematics, 12%
  • Learning Environment, 9%
  • Classroom Environment, 6%
  • Art Projects, 5%
Common head teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 26%
  • Child Care, 13%
  • Creative Curriculum, 5%
  • Language Arts, 5%
  • Pre-K, 5%
  • Mathematics, 5%

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