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Paraprofessional education assistant vs special education assistant

The differences between paraprofessional education assistants and special education assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special education assistant has an average salary of $32,149, which is higher than the $29,268 average annual salary of a paraprofessional education assistant.

The top three skills for a paraprofessional education assistant include public schools, direct supervision and one assistance. The most important skills for a special education assistant are paraprofessional, behavior management, and IEP.

Paraprofessional education assistant vs special education assistant overview

Paraprofessional Education AssistantSpecial Education Assistant
Yearly salary$29,268$32,149
Hourly rate$14.07$15.46
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs17,74362,239
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4444
Years of experience--

Paraprofessional education assistant vs special education assistant salary

Paraprofessional education assistants and special education assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Paraprofessional Education AssistantSpecial Education Assistant
Average salary$29,268$32,149
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $38,000Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying CityKahului, HINew York, NY
Highest paying stateHawaiiRhode Island
Best paying companyBoston Public SchoolsBenicia Unified School District
Best paying industryProfessionalEducation

Differences between paraprofessional education assistant and special education assistant education

There are a few differences between a paraprofessional education assistant and a special education assistant in terms of educational background:

Paraprofessional Education AssistantSpecial Education Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 53%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorBusinessPsychology
Most common collegeStanford UniversityNorthwestern University

Paraprofessional education assistant vs special education assistant demographics

Here are the differences between paraprofessional education assistants' and special education assistants' demographics:

Paraprofessional Education AssistantSpecial Education Assistant
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 16.5% Female, 83.5%Male, 21.9% Female, 78.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 8.0% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between paraprofessional education assistant and special education assistant duties and responsibilities

Paraprofessional education assistant example responsibilities.

  • Perform responsible human support and paraprofessional work assisting classroom teacher or other professionals, achieve institution objectives.
  • Work with students who have autism.
  • Teach mathematics to students seeking their GED.
  • Assist students with daily living and provide support in meeting student IEP goals.
  • Train in ABA therapy, and necessary paperwork that goes along with it.
  • Assist in instruction of students one-on-one and /or in group settings according to individual needs and IEP assessments.
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Special education assistant example responsibilities.

  • Perform responsible human support and paraprofessional work assisting classroom teacher or other professionals, achieve institution objectives.
  • Implement behavioral plans design by IEP team for students with behavior disorders or other learning disabilities
  • Accompany students to special classes (art, music, PE) and on field trips.
  • Complete Medicaid forms on a daily basis.
  • Assist special needs children with independent skills and work tasks, fill out Medicaid paperwork.
  • Provide one on one attention to pre-k partner child with multiple activities while promoting language and developmental skills.
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Paraprofessional education assistant vs special education assistant skills

Common paraprofessional education assistant skills
  • Public Schools, 26%
  • Direct Supervision, 16%
  • One Assistance, 10%
  • Autism, 7%
  • Classroom Management, 7%
  • Pre-Kindergarten, 5%
Common special education assistant skills
  • Paraprofessional, 15%
  • Behavior Management, 10%
  • IEP, 9%
  • CPR, 7%
  • Adaptive, 7%
  • Behavioral Issues, 6%

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