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The differences between classroom assistants and special education instructional assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special education instructional assistant has an average salary of $32,025, which is higher than the $27,801 average annual salary of a classroom assistant.
The top three skills for a classroom assistant include CPR, mathematics and photocopying. The most important skills for a special education instructional assistant are CPR, instructional materials, and autism.
| Classroom Assistant | Special Education Instructional Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $27,801 | $32,025 |
| Hourly rate | $13.37 | $15.40 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 49,273 | 60,974 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A classroom assistant is responsible for monitoring the class activities and the students' learning progress under the command of a head instructor. Classroom assistants help the teachers in conducting engaging learning activities, creating comprehensive lesson plans, and gathering educational materials to support the students' needs. They take the initiative on observing the class when the teacher is away, leaving them activities to work on as the teacher instructed. A classroom assistant must have excellent communication and organization skills, as they also serve as a liaison between the students and the teacher for inquiries and concerns.
Special education instructional assistant does work under the supervision of the principal and other administrative workers, especially in school and college. They prepare the material aids which are helping to teach in the classroom. Moreover, they are more inclined upon the progress of students. Conducting the exams, preparing the notes, preparing the result and giving the instruction to the students about their life career and course books etc are the main duties of the special education instructional assistant. They preach, instruct, command and come up with the idea about making the school environment more friendly and viable.
Classroom assistants and special education instructional assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Classroom Assistant | Special Education Instructional Assistant | |
| Average salary | $27,801 | $32,025 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $34,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Belmont, MA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Goleta Union School District |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between a classroom assistant and a special education instructional assistant in terms of educational background:
| Classroom Assistant | Special Education Instructional Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between classroom assistants' and special education instructional assistants' demographics:
| Classroom Assistant | Special Education Instructional Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7% | Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 24.1% Asian, 7.3% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |