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The differences between para educators and education paraprofessionals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a para educator has an average salary of $31,394, which is higher than the $31,158 average annual salary of an education paraprofessional.
The top three skills for a para educator include behavioral issues, student performance and IEP. The most important skills for an education paraprofessional are autism, behavioral issues, and mathematics.
| Para Educator | Education Paraprofessional | |
| Yearly salary | $31,394 | $31,158 |
| Hourly rate | $15.09 | $14.98 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 56,897 | 53,164 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Paraeducators' primary role is to provide students with extra guidance and support outside or inside the classroom. They are also called paraprofessional educators or teaching assistants who are expected to support teachers. In small group activities, they take the lead permitting teachers to help their students in many ways. The necessary skills required include organization, intellectual curiosity, and being calm. They should also be creative, a team player, and knowledgeable. A bachelor's degree in education is also a necessity for this job.
An education paraprofessional's role is to carry out support tasks for a teacher in a school setting. They are responsible for creating learning materials such as visual aids and presentations, participating in devising lesson plans and assessment methods, grading and evaluating student performances, and even maintaining order in the classroom. There are also instances where they must assist students who are having difficulties catching up with the lessons. Furthermore, an education paraprofessional may also teach under the supervision of a more experienced educator.
Para educators and education paraprofessionals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Para Educator | Education Paraprofessional | |
| Average salary | $31,394 | $31,158 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Belmont, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Central Valley School District | Boston Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Education | Finance |
There are a few differences between a para educator and an education paraprofessional in terms of educational background:
| Para Educator | Education Paraprofessional | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between para educators' and education paraprofessionals' demographics:
| Para Educator | Education Paraprofessional | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% | Male, 19.7% Female, 80.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |