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The differences between education paraprofessionals and preschool teacher's 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 $30,249 average annual salary of a preschool teacher's assistant.
The top three skills for an education paraprofessional include autism, behavioral issues and mathematics. The most important skills for a preschool teacher's assistant are open communication, child development, and child care.
| Education Paraprofessional | Preschool Teacher's Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $31,158 | $30,249 |
| Hourly rate | $14.98 | $14.54 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 53,164 | 48,217 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
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.
Preschool teacher assistants, paid an average of $25K per year, must have skills in childcare and communication. This career requires a minimum of a high school diploma, though in some situations, a bachelor's degree may be needed. Those who choose this career path interact with children, prepare snacks, teach things like color and shapes, help children to get dressed and/or change diapers, and evaluate children's development and physical wellness.
Education paraprofessionals and preschool teacher's assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Education Paraprofessional | Preschool Teacher's Assistant | |
| Average salary | $31,158 | $30,249 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $23,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | Archdiocese of Philadelphia |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Education |
There are a few differences between an education paraprofessional and a preschool teacher's assistant in terms of educational background:
| Education Paraprofessional | Preschool Teacher's Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Early Childhood Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Fairfield University |
Here are the differences between education paraprofessionals' and preschool teacher's assistants' demographics:
| Education Paraprofessional | Preschool Teacher's Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.7% Female, 80.3% | Male, 7.1% Female, 92.9% |
| 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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 5.3% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |