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Educational assistant vs learning assistant

The differences between educational assistants and learning 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 $28,576 average annual salary of a learning assistant.

The top three skills for an educational assistant include CPR, IEP and direct supervision. The most important skills for a learning assistant are mathematics, math, and student learning.

Educational assistant vs learning assistant overview

Educational AssistantLearning Assistant
Yearly salary$31,100$28,576
Hourly rate$14.95$13.74
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs49,97914,674
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age4444
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 a learning assistant do?

A learning assistant is often also known as a student assistant who is tasked with different school divisions. They are responsible for preparing and writing weekly accomplishment reports, taking down notes in a training program or meeting, as well as managing discussions and interacting with students and school officials if there are other activities to be done. Meaning, this career is for someone who has a sufficient communication skill, research-oriented and actively participates in a lot of discussions.

Educational assistant vs learning assistant salary

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

Educational AssistantLearning Assistant
Average salary$31,100$28,576
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $47,000Between $21,000 And $38,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYCambridge, MA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandMassachusetts
Best paying companyColumbia University in the City of New YorkGoogle
Best paying industryNon ProfitsEducation

Differences between educational assistant and learning assistant education

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

Educational AssistantLearning Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common majorBusinessPsychology
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Educational assistant vs learning assistant demographics

Here are the differences between educational assistants' and learning assistants' demographics:

Educational AssistantLearning Assistant
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 23.2% Female, 76.8%Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%
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, 9.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between educational assistant and learning assistant 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

Learning assistant example responsibilities.

  • Lead discussion sections for students to understand concepts including introductory quantum theory and statistical thermodynamics as well as their applications.
  • Tutor students in calculus, general chemistry and biochemistry
  • Tutor students in algebra, trigonometry, life-science base calculus, chemistry and basic genetics
  • Educate undergraduate students on math and computer technology especially on using the computer software to do their math assignments
  • Used blackboard to input student grades.
  • Grade students' homework and answer questions of algorithms
  • Show more

Educational assistant vs learning assistant skills

Common educational assistant skills
  • CPR, 12%
  • IEP, 7%
  • Direct Supervision, 6%
  • Behavioral Issues, 6%
  • Clerical Support, 6%
  • Autism, 6%
Common learning assistant skills
  • Mathematics, 13%
  • Math, 9%
  • Student Learning, 9%
  • Professional Development, 6%
  • Academic Support, 6%
  • Computer Lab, 6%

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