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The differences between education paraprofessionals and classroom assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an education paraprofessional has an average salary of $31,158, which is higher than the $27,801 average annual salary of a classroom assistant.
The top three skills for an education paraprofessional include autism, behavioral issues and mathematics. The most important skills for a classroom assistant are CPR, mathematics, and photocopying.
| Education Paraprofessional | Classroom Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $31,158 | $27,801 |
| Hourly rate | $14.98 | $13.37 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 53,164 | 49,273 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An education paraprofessional's role is to carry out support tasks for a teacher in a school setting. They are responsible for creating learning materials such as visual aids and presentations, participating in devising lesson plans and assessment methods, grading and evaluating student performances, and even maintaining order in the classroom. There are also instances where they must assist students who are having difficulties catching up with the lessons. Furthermore, an education paraprofessional may also teach under the supervision of a more experienced educator.
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.
Education paraprofessionals and classroom assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Education Paraprofessional | Classroom Assistant | |
| Average salary | $31,158 | $27,801 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $22,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Belmont, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an education paraprofessional and a classroom assistant in terms of educational background:
| Education Paraprofessional | Classroom Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between education paraprofessionals' and classroom assistants' demographics:
| Education Paraprofessional | Classroom Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.7% Female, 80.3% | Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |