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Educational assistant vs teacher

The differences between educational assistants and teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a teacher has an average salary of $47,989, 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 a teacher are ESL, handle scheduling, and kids.

Educational assistant vs teacher overview

Educational AssistantTeacher
Yearly salary$31,100$47,989
Hourly rate$14.95$23.07
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs49,97971,918
Job satisfaction54.14
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
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 a teacher do?

Being a teacher is one of the most passionate professions, among others. Teachers educate, motivate, and guide every generation of learners to prepare them for the real world. Every teacher is unique and has their own teaching styles and methods depending on the subject they teach and the age of their students. Oftentimes they also function as a parent, counselor, coach, friend, and even a lawmaker. There is essentially no limit to the roles a teacher portrays.

Educational assistant vs teacher salary

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

Educational AssistantTeacher
Average salary$31,100$47,989
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $47,000Between $32,000 And $70,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYBaltimore, MD
Highest paying stateRhode IslandMaryland
Best paying companyColumbia University in the City of New YorkKing Low Heywood Thomas
Best paying industryNon ProfitsEducation

Differences between educational assistant and teacher education

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

Educational AssistantTeacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorBusinessElementary Education
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Educational assistant vs teacher demographics

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

Educational AssistantTeacher
Average age4442
Gender ratioMale, 23.2% Female, 76.8%Male, 25.7% Female, 74.3%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage6%9%

Differences between educational assistant and 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

Teacher example responsibilities.

  • Work closely with co-teacher to manage and co-teach curriculum to a large group.
  • Target at risk and high achieving students using levele readers and DRA strategies.
  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Develop social studies and geography curriculum.
  • Provide kindergarten readiness in approaching phonemic awareness, phonics, and introductory math skills.
  • Attend and participate in ESL professional development activities, conferences/workshops, curriculum/program planning, & special events and activities.
  • Show more

Educational assistant vs teacher skills

Common educational assistant skills
  • CPR, 12%
  • IEP, 7%
  • Direct Supervision, 6%
  • Behavioral Issues, 6%
  • Clerical Support, 6%
  • Autism, 6%
Common teacher skills
  • ESL, 17%
  • Handle Scheduling, 15%
  • Kids, 12%
  • Classroom Management, 7%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Curriculum Development, 4%

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