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The differences between teacher assistants and head start teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a head start teacher has an average salary of $33,865, which is higher than the $27,103 average annual salary of a teacher assistant.
The top three skills for a teacher assistant include CPR, child care and mathematics. The most important skills for a head start teacher are kids, math, and CPR.
| Teacher Assistant | Head Start Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $27,103 | $33,865 |
| Hourly rate | $13.03 | $16.28 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 77,358 | 67,747 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Teacher assistants are responsible for aiding teachers in their needs inside the classroom. They help teachers prepare for lessons in class, set up equipment, distribute educational materials to students, and monitor the progress of the students. Teacher assistants also help in managing the children in the classroom, as well as providing the necessary assistance a child may need. This may include helping with the lessons by going table to table, assisting in writing exercises, and tutoring kids one-to-one. Teacher assistants are required to have patience, flexibility, and classroom management skills.
A head start teacher is responsible for organizing lectures and monitoring classroom operations for students with financial difficulties. Head start teachers have the same roles as regular teachers, such as preparing lesson plans, conducting assessments to test the students' knowledge, documenting their progress, and planning group activities to observe their personal and social behaviors. They also coordinate with the students' parents to share the child's difficulties and strategize methods to enhance capabilities. A head start teacher must have excellent communication skills, especially in attending to students for their needs and encouraging them to reach their maximum potentials.
Teacher assistants and head start teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Teacher Assistant | Head Start Teacher | |
| Average salary | $27,103 | $33,865 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $34,000 | Between $23,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Coventry, RI | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Topeka Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Education |
There are a few differences between a teacher assistant and a head start teacher in terms of educational background:
| Teacher Assistant | Head Start Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Early Childhood Education |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between teacher assistants' and head start teachers' demographics:
| Teacher Assistant | Head Start Teacher | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.5% Female, 78.5% | Male, 7.9% Female, 92.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.8% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |