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The differences between classroom aides and teacher assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a classroom aide has an average salary of $28,832, which is higher than the $27,103 average annual salary of a teacher assistant.
The top three skills for a classroom aide include autism, CPR and classroom environment. The most important skills for a teacher assistant are CPR, child care, and mathematics.
| Classroom Aide | Teacher Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $28,832 | $27,103 |
| Hourly rate | $13.86 | $13.03 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 71,960 | 77,358 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Classroom aides or teacher's aides are found in special education centers and schools. Some of their many roles include supervising field trips, attendance checking, and preparing classroom materials. They help the teachers by assisting students who need extra attention to keep up with the lessons. Being very patient and proficient in ASL are skills that all of them need to have, especially when working with students in the special education spectrum. They should be very critical to detail to accurately track the progress of the student under their supervision and discuss them with the teachers and parents.
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.
Classroom aides and teacher assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Classroom Aide | Teacher Assistant | |
| Average salary | $28,832 | $27,103 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $35,000 | Between $21,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Danvers, MA | Coventry, RI |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Mt. Hood Community College | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Education | Finance |
There are a few differences between a classroom aide and a teacher assistant in terms of educational background:
| Classroom Aide | Teacher Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between classroom aides' and teacher assistants' demographics:
| Classroom Aide | Teacher Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9% | Male, 21.5% Female, 78.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 8.8% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |