How to hire an education paraprofessional

How to hire an education paraprofessional, step by step

Here's a step-by-step education paraprofessional hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an education paraprofessional job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new education paraprofessional
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an education paraprofessional do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your education paraprofessional job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an education paraprofessional for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect education paraprofessional also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents education paraprofessional salaries for various positions.

   Type of Education Paraprofessional	Description	Hourly rate
   Education Paraprofessional	Teacher assistants work under a teacher’s supervision to give students additional attention and instruction.	$11-18
   Pre-K Teacher	Pre-K teachers play an essential role in the lives of young children ages three to five years old by developing and nurturing their interest in subjects appropriate for their age. They promote a creative learning environment and encourage social interactions among students while providing the fundamental educational foundation that will prepare them for a successful start to kindergarten... Show more	$13-27
   ESL Teacher	An ESL teacher specializes in teaching the English language to non-native speakers of all ages, usually in a virtual setting. Their responsibilities revolve around devising lesson plans, organizing learning materials, evaluating progress, and coming up with strategies to make learners feel comfortable... Show more	$19-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Autism
   • Behavioral Issues
   • Mathematics
   • Math
   • Instructional Materials
   • IEP
   • Classroom Management
   • CPR
   • Instructional Support
   • Kindergarten
   • Para
   • Classroom Environment
   • CPI
   • Behavioral Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work with ESL and special needs students, individually and in small groups, to attain their learning objectives
   • Help student become more independent and achieve organizational goals by using self-monitore checklists and adaptive technology.
   • Perform responsible human support and paraprofessional work assisting classroom teacher or other professionals, achieve institution objectives.
   • Perform technical, clerical and instructional support tasks in a Pre-K classroom for the physically impair
   • Target instructional learning activities especially in core content areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.
   • Help assist in Pre-K classroom.

   More education paraprofessional duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your education paraprofessional job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An education paraprofessional salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, education paraprofessionals' average salary in florida is 42% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level education paraprofessionals earn 38% less than senior-level education paraprofessionals.
   • Certifications. An education paraprofessional with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an education paraprofessional's salary.

   Average education paraprofessional salary

   $14.98hourly

   $31,158 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level education paraprofessional salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average education paraprofessional salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$35,087	$17
   2	Minnesota	$33,571	$16
   3	Connecticut	$33,493	$16
   4	Washington	$32,564	$16
   5	Illinois	$30,605	$15
   6	Iowa	$29,919	$14
   7	Michigan	$28,531	$14
   8	Colorado	$28,348	$14
   9	New Jersey	$27,574	$13
   10	Arizona	$26,748	$13
   11	Missouri	$26,587	$13
   12	Idaho	$25,956	$12
   13	Indiana	$25,525	$12
   14	Kansas	$23,292	$11
   15	New Mexico	$22,850	$11
   16	Arkansas	$22,274	$11

   Average education paraprofessional salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Boston Public Schools	$49,827	$23.96	64
   2	Gateway Unified School District	$36,542	$17.57	11
   3	Santa Barbara County Education Office	$36,366	$17.48	14
   4	Brea Olinda Unified School District	$35,992	$17.30	5
   5	North Monterey County Unified School District	$35,919	$17.27	1
   6	Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95	$35,849	$17.24	6
   7	Jefferson Elementary School District	$35,587	$17.11	4
   8	Distinctive Schools	$35,310	$16.98	15
   9	Aspen School District	$35,206	$16.93	7
   10	Joliet Schools 86	$35,127	$16.89	13
   11	Sunrise Elementary School	$34,663	$16.66
   12	Edina Public Schools	$33,720	$16.21	18
   13	Denver Public Schools	$33,689	$16.20	41
   14	Tehachapi Unified School District	$33,514	$16.11
   15	Omaha Public Schools	$33,451	$16.08	16
   16	South Washington County Schools	$33,364	$16.04	32
   17	UP Education Network	$33,232	$15.98	8
   18	The Foundation for Hispanic Education	$33,140	$15.93
   19	Legacy Traditional Schools	$33,100	$15.91	25
   20	Grandville Public Schools	$33,065	$15.90	12

4. Writing an education paraprofessional job description

   An education paraprofessional job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an education paraprofessional job description:

   Education paraprofessional job description example

   The Henry Ford is a nonprofit organization, an internationally recognized cultural destination, and a one-of-a-kind workplace. Our team is inspired daily by one another as well as the authentic stories of innovation that we share across our four venues. We want you to be part of this legacy and take it forward.
   
   Henry Ford Academy is a college prep high school (grades 9-12) located inside the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation & Greenfield Village and surrounded by the campus of Ford Motor Company. Students come from districts within Wayne County, as well as private, parochial, and home schools.
   
   The model partnership focuses some of the best thinking from the business, non-profit, and public education worlds toward the common goal of building a school that prepares students for life in the 21st century.
   
   We are seeking to fill a English Paraprofessional for the 2022-2023 school year. This role will provide support and serve as part of an instructional team alongside teachers and service personnel. This is a rare opportunity to work in one of the most inspiring and unique schools in Michigan. We offer competitive pay, benefits, Michigan Teacher Retirement benefits, and special opportunities as employees of The Henry Ford.
   Your qualifications:
   
   + 18 years of age or older
   
   + Associate degree OR at least 60 hours of college credit
   
   + U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status
   
   + Ability to pass a background check
   
   It is the policy of The Henry Ford to prohibit discrimination in any employment, donor or volunteering opportunity (including but not limited to recruitment, hire, employment, program participation, promotion, salary, benefits, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment or service as a volunteer) based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, genetic information, pregnancy, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, physical/mental disability. Marital/domestic partner status, military and veteran status, height, weight or any other such characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. This Policy applies to all of our employees, donors and volunteers to ensure that they are treated without discrimination.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right education paraprofessional for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with education paraprofessionals they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit education paraprofessionals who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your education paraprofessional job on Zippia to find and recruit education paraprofessional candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit education paraprofessionals, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new education paraprofessional

   Once you have selected a candidate for the education paraprofessional position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an education paraprofessional?