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Educational assistant vs esl teacher

The differences between educational assistants and esl teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an esl teacher has an average salary of $52,701, which is higher than the $31,100 average annual salary of an educational assistant.

The top three skills for an educational assistant include CPR, IEP and direct supervision. The most important skills for an esl teacher are kids, whiteboards, and classroom management.

Educational assistant vs esl teacher overview

Educational AssistantESL Teacher
Yearly salary$31,100$52,701
Hourly rate$14.95$25.34
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs49,97963,897
Job satisfaction54
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4442
Years of experience--

What does an educational assistant do?

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.

What does an esl teacher do?

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. Furthermore, they must maintain a healthy and safe learning environment, whether the lessons are in a one-on-one or group setting. When it comes to virtual learning, an ESL teacher must have the necessary equipment, a stable internet connection, and an obstruction-free teaching location.

Educational assistant vs esl teacher salary

Educational assistants and esl teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Educational AssistantESL Teacher
Average salary$31,100$52,701
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $47,000Between $40,000 And $68,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYBoston, MA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandConnecticut
Best paying companyColumbia University in the City of New YorkPace University
Best paying industryNon ProfitsRetail

Differences between educational assistant and esl teacher education

There are a few differences between an educational assistant and an esl teacher in terms of educational background:

Educational AssistantESL Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorBusinessEnglish
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Educational assistant vs esl teacher demographics

Here are the differences between educational assistants' and esl teachers' demographics:

Educational AssistantESL Teacher
Average age4442
Gender ratioMale, 23.2% Female, 76.8%Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 3.6% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage6%9%

Differences between educational assistant and esl teacher duties and responsibilities

Educational assistant example responsibilities.

  • Perform responsible human support and paraprofessional work assisting classroom teacher or other professionals, achieve institution objectives.
  • Perform basic administrative tasks like photocopying student work displays etc.
  • Support class teachers in photocopying and other tasks in order to support teaching.
  • Used CPI blocks, restraints, and escorts when necessary to ensure the safety of students and staff.
  • Serve special needs Pre-K students in a PPCD classroom, under the direction of a certify classroom teacher.
  • Provide assistance to non-English speaking students
  • Show more

Esl teacher example responsibilities.

  • Design syllabus and conduct various group activities to achieve basic conversational knowledge.
  • Focuse instruction on grammar and authentic conversation, using many interactive techniques to achieve progress.
  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Instruct all levels of elementary and kindergarten French entirely in the target language.
  • Develop and execute diverse individualize lesson plans that addressed every child's language proficiency, learning ability, and learning style.
  • Plan, prepare and hold IEP meetings.
  • Show more

Educational assistant vs esl teacher skills

Common educational assistant skills
  • CPR, 12%
  • IEP, 7%
  • Direct Supervision, 6%
  • Behavioral Issues, 6%
  • Clerical Support, 6%
  • Autism, 6%
Common esl teacher skills
  • Kids, 44%
  • Whiteboards, 20%
  • Classroom Management, 9%
  • Curriculum Development, 5%
  • English Language, 3%
  • Grammar, 3%

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