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The differences between para educators and teacher assistants 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 $27,103 average annual salary of a teacher assistant.
The top three skills for a para educator include behavioral issues, student performance and IEP. The most important skills for a teacher assistant are CPR, child care, and mathematics.
| Para Educator | Teacher Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $31,394 | $27,103 |
| Hourly rate | $15.09 | $13.03 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 56,897 | 77,358 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| 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.
Teacher assistants are responsible for aiding teachers in their needs inside the classroom. They help teachers prepare for lessons in class, set up equipment, distribute educational materials to students, and monitor the progress of the students. Teacher assistants also help in managing the children in the classroom, as well as providing the necessary assistance a child may need. This may include helping with the lessons by going table to table, assisting in writing exercises, and tutoring kids one-to-one. Teacher assistants are required to have patience, flexibility, and classroom management skills.
Para educators and teacher assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Para Educator | Teacher Assistant | |
| Average salary | $31,394 | $27,103 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $21,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Belmont, CA | Coventry, RI |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Central Valley School District | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Education | Finance |
There are a few differences between a para educator and a teacher assistant in terms of educational background:
| Para Educator | Teacher Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between para educators' and teacher assistants' demographics:
| Para Educator | Teacher Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% | Male, 21.5% Female, 78.5% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.8% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |