Research Summary. Here are some key facts to know if you're looking to hire a education paraprofessionals in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire an education paraprofessional is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per education paraprofessional on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 92,300 education paraprofessionals in the US, and there are currently 53,164 job openings in this field.
  • Kansas City, MO, has the highest demand for education paraprofessionals, with 18 job openings.

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How Much Does it Cost to Hire an Education Paraprofessional

Recruiting education paraprofessionals involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

The median annual salary for education paraprofessionals is $31,158 in the US. However, the cost of education paraprofessional hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring an education paraprofessional for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $11 and $18 an hour.

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How to hire an Education Paraprofessional, step by step

To hire an education paraprofessional, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire an education paraprofessional, you should follow these steps:

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

1
Identify Your Needs

Before you post your education paraprofessional job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business need. 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.

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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 the salaries of various education paraprofessional positions.

Type Of Education ParaprofessionalDescriptionHourly Rate
Education ParaprofessionalTeacher assistants work under a teacher’s supervision to give students additional attention and instruction.$11-18
Pre-K TeacherPre-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 TeacherAn 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

2
Create An Ideal Candidate Profile

Before you draft an education paraprofessional job description, imagine the ideal employee for the role and begin creating a profile. What are they proficient in and what sort of background do they have?

Here are some of the most common education paraprofessional skills:

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

Here are the most common education paraprofessional responsibilities:

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.
Check all Duties

Beyond the nuts and bolts, cultural fit is an important factor. It might help to ask yourself how your ideal education paraprofessional will live by the company's mission statement and contribute to the team dynamic you already have in place. Clearly communicating this vision in your education paraprofessional job description will help attract candidates who are better suited for the role.

Most Common States For Education Paraprofessionals In The US

Rank #State# Of Jobs% of PopulationAvg. Salary
1Illinois1,48212%$31,213
2Arizona1,04015%$26,701
3New Jersey1,02911%$27,576
4Colorado69112%$28,093
5Maryland69111%$30,931

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3
Make A Budget

Including a salary range in your 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.

Updated March 16, 2023

Education Paraprofessional Salary Estimate

$14.98hourly

$31,158 yearly

Entry level Salary
$24,000 yearly

Education Paraprofessional Average Salary By Location

RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1California$35,087$17
2Minnesota$33,571$166
3Connecticut$33,493$166
4Washington$32,564$161
5Illinois$30,605$15

Education Paraprofessional Average Salary By Company

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:

Example of Full Job Description

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.

5
Post A 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 Process

During your first interview to recruit education paraprofessionals, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and their experience in the field. During the next interview, you can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities.

You should also ask about candidates' special skills and talents to see if they match with the ideal candidate profile you came up with earlier. Candidates who are good enough for the next step can then move on to 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 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. It is important to make sure that your offer is competitive, 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 Checklist For The Hiring Process

  • 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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Hiring Education Paraprofessionals FAQs

How Much Does A Good Education Paraprofessional Cost?

A good education paraprofessional costs $14.98 an hour in the US. However, it can vary based on factors such as the education paraprofessional experience, abilities, industry, and the specific requirements of your business.

What Are The Duties Of An Education Paraprofessional?

The duties of an education paraprofessional are:
  • 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.

Should I Hire An Education Paraprofessional With No Experience?

Yes, you should hire an education paraprofessional with no experience. Hiring an entry-level education paraprofessional with no experience offers versatility for your team. They may lack some qualifications, but are adaptable and have not yet formed problematic habits. However, more training may be required compared to experienced.

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