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The differences between educational assistants and classroom assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an educational assistant has an average salary of $31,100, which is higher than the $27,801 average annual salary of a classroom assistant.
The top three skills for an educational assistant include CPR, IEP and direct supervision. The most important skills for a classroom assistant are CPR, mathematics, and photocopying.
| Educational Assistant | Classroom Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $31,100 | $27,801 |
| Hourly rate | $14.95 | $13.37 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 49,979 | 49,273 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An educational assistant, or often called teaching assistant, assists teachers in instruction delivery and provides learning support to students. Educational assistants may perform classroom duties such as class preparations, taking attendance, and paperwork management. They help students by reviewing materials presented by teachers through one-on-one tutoring or in small groups. They may also supervise and monitor the educational activities of children, such as playing and other primary care. Educational Assistants can work in elementary, middle, and high schools while others work in preschools and childcare centers.
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.
Educational assistants and classroom assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Educational Assistant | Classroom Assistant | |
| Average salary | $31,100 | $27,801 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $47,000 | Between $22,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Belmont, MA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Technology |
There are a few differences between an educational assistant and a classroom assistant in terms of educational background:
| Educational Assistant | Classroom Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between educational assistants' and classroom assistants' demographics:
| Educational Assistant | Classroom Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 8.1% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | 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% |