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The differences between instructional aides and classroom assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an instructional aide has an average salary of $30,993, which is higher than the $27,801 average annual salary of a classroom assistant.
The top three skills for an instructional aide include work ethic, CPR and math. The most important skills for a classroom assistant are CPR, mathematics, and photocopying.
| Instructional Aide | Classroom Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,993 | $27,801 |
| Hourly rate | $14.90 | $13.37 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 60,846 | 49,273 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An instructional aide focuses on performing support-related tasks for a teacher or faculty member. They are primarily responsible for helping teachers maintain a safe and healthy learning environment, recording attendance, creating visual aids or presentations, participating in the preparation of lesson plans and tests, and assisting students who are having difficulties in a particular task or lesson. An instructional aide may also take part in counseling and supervising students' behavior during class activities, all while adhering to the school's policies and regulations.
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.
Instructional aides and classroom assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instructional Aide | Classroom Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,993 | $27,801 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $38,000 | Between $22,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Columbus, OH | Belmont, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Education | Technology |
There are a few differences between an instructional aide and a classroom assistant in terms of educational background:
| Instructional Aide | Classroom Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between instructional aides' and classroom assistants' demographics:
| Instructional Aide | Classroom Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% | Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 25.2% Asian, 7.1% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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% |