Research Summary. Here are some key facts to know if you're looking to hire a education paraprofessionals in the United States:
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.
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:
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.
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 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 |
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:
Here are the most common education paraprofessional responsibilities:
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.
Rank # | State | # Of Jobs | % of Population | Avg. Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Illinois | 1,482 | 12% | $31,213 |
2 | Arizona | 1,040 | 15% | $26,701 |
3 | New Jersey | 1,029 | 11% | $27,576 |
4 | Colorado | 691 | 12% | $28,093 |
5 | Maryland | 691 | 11% | $30,931 |
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:
Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | California | $35,087 | $17 | |
2 | Minnesota | $33,571 | $16 | 6 |
3 | Connecticut | $33,493 | $16 | 6 |
4 | Washington | $32,564 | $16 | 1 |
5 | Illinois | $30,605 | $15 |
Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Boston Public Schools | $49,827 | $23.96 | 198 |
2 | Gateway Unified School District | $36,542 | $17.57 | |
3 | Santa Barbara County Education Office | $36,366 | $17.48 | 9 |
4 | Brea Olinda Unified School District | $35,992 | $17.30 | 2 |
5 | North Monterey County Unified School District | $35,919 | $17.27 | 14 |
6 | Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 | $35,849 | $17.24 | |
7 | Jefferson Elementary School District | $35,587 | $17.11 | 16 |
8 | Distinctive Schools | $35,310 | $16.98 | 76 |
9 | Aspen School District | $35,206 | $16.93 | 14 |
10 | Joliet Schools 86 | $35,127 | $16.89 | 7 |
11 | Sunrise Elementary School | $34,663 | $16.66 | |
12 | Edina Public Schools | $33,720 | $16.21 | |
13 | Denver Public Schools | $33,689 | $16.20 | 99 |
14 | Tehachapi Unified School District | $33,514 | $16.11 | |
15 | Omaha Public Schools | $33,451 | $16.08 | |
16 | South Washington County Schools | $33,364 | $16.04 | 29 |
17 | UP Education Network | $33,232 | $15.98 | 13 |
18 | The Foundation for Hispanic Education | $33,140 | $15.93 | 4 |
19 | Legacy Traditional Schools | $33,100 | $15.91 | 47 |
20 | Grandville Public Schools | $33,065 | $15.90 | 55 |
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:
To find the right education paraprofessional for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:
Post your job online:
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.
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.