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What is an instructional paraprofessional and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an instructional paraprofessional. For example, did you know that they make an average of $15.31 an hour? That's $31,835 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 55,400 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreInstructional ParaprofessionalUS Average
Salary
2.5

Avg. Salary $31,835

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.5

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.28%

Asian 8.79%

Black or African American 12.02%

Hispanic or Latino 17.06%

Unknown 4.51%

White 56.35%

Gender

female 79.24%

male 20.76%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress level
4.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
3.7

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance
10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Instructional paraprofessional career paths

Key steps to become an instructional paraprofessional

  1. Explore instructional paraprofessional education requirements

    Most common instructional paraprofessional degrees

    Bachelor's

    59.8 %

    Associate

    18.4 %

    Master's

    12.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific instructional paraprofessional skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Mathematics9.31%
    Instructional Materials7.18%
    IEP6.76%
    English Language6.24%
    Direct Supervision5.42%
  3. Research instructional paraprofessional duties and responsibilities

    • Help ESL students achieve their academic goals while they learn a new language and adapt to a new community and culture.
    • Assist students with their educational needs in language arts, mathematics, social students and science.
    • Carry out behavior intervention techniques and ABA.
    • Provide administration and care of ABA and discrete trial training.
  4. Prepare your instructional paraprofessional resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your instructional paraprofessional resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an instructional paraprofessional resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable instructional paraprofessional resume templates

    Build a professional instructional paraprofessional resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your instructional paraprofessional resume.
    Instructional Paraprofessional Resume
    Instructional Paraprofessional Resume
    Instructional Paraprofessional Resume
    Instructional Paraprofessional Resume
    Instructional Paraprofessional Resume
    Instructional Paraprofessional Resume
    Instructional Paraprofessional Resume
    Instructional Paraprofessional Resume
    Instructional Paraprofessional Resume
  5. Apply for instructional paraprofessional jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an instructional paraprofessional job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first instructional paraprofessional job

Zippi

Are you an instructional paraprofessional?

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Average instructional paraprofessional salary

The average instructional paraprofessional salary in the United States is $31,835 per year or $15 per hour. Instructional paraprofessional salaries range between $25,000 and $39,000 per year.

Average instructional paraprofessional salary
$31,835 Yearly
$15.31 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do instructional paraprofessionals rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Instructional paraprofessional reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2024
Pros

Helping students with various intellectual or behavior disabilities to be successful in the classroom and in life.

Cons

As a paraprofessional, you often get left out of Professional Development activities, vertical team meetings, etc. and have a limited capacity to influence educational decisions within the organization.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

The students, making a difference in their lives,

Cons

The pay, the lack of respect from others.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2021
Pros

Working one on one with students who struggle because I get to see their confidence boost and their grades improve. Also have the summers off to be with my kids who are out of school


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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