Reading assistant vs instructional assistant

The differences between reading assistants and instructional assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an instructional assistant has an average salary of $32,170, which is higher than the $25,809 average annual salary of a reading assistant.

The top three skills for a reading assistant include radiology, data entry and patient reports. The most important skills for an instructional assistant are CPR, math, and instructional materials.

Reading assistant vs instructional assistant overview

	Reading Assistant	Instructional Assistant
Yearly salary	$25,809	$32,170
Hourly rate	$12.41	$15.47
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	7,396	50,185
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Reading assistant vs instructional assistant salary

Reading assistants and instructional assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Reading Assistant	Instructional Assistant
Average salary	$25,809	$32,170
Salary range	Between $13,000 And $50,000	Between $23,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Salem, OR
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between reading assistant and instructional assistant education

There are a few differences between a reading assistant and an instructional assistant in terms of educational background:

	Reading Assistant	Instructional Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Elementary Education	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Reading assistant vs instructional assistant demographics

Here are the differences between reading assistants' and instructional assistants' demographics:

	Reading Assistant	Instructional Assistant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 20.9% Female, 79.1%	Male, 27.3% Female, 72.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 8.4% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 8.2% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between reading assistant and instructional assistant duties and responsibilities

Reading assistant example responsibilities.

Manage a phonetic/whole language curriculum for middle/high school students with various learning differences.
Maintain knowledge of SSA organizational structure.
Attend IEP meetings per parental request.
Work with ESL students to improve learning English.
Maintain statistics, organize literature, assist students with research and references.
Assist in the classroom with attendance, grading, and constructing PowerPoint lectures.

Instructional assistant example responsibilities.

Assist teachers in the classroom environment for Pre-K-6 students with class materials, photocopying, correcting papers, clerical duties etc.
Substitute for Pre-K through 5th grade.
Assist lead teacher in a certify Montessori program.
Assist students in grades from kindergarten to high school.
Administer tests to determine if student continues in ESOL program.
Provide training skills to students to administer CPR safely and accurately.

Reading assistant vs instructional assistant skills

Common reading assistant skills

Radiology, 38%
Data Entry, 17%
Patient Reports, 8%
CDS, 6%
Mathematics, 5%
Elementary Schools, 4%

Common instructional assistant skills

CPR, 17%
Math, 8%
Instructional Materials, 7%
Mathematics, 7%
Behavioral Issues, 7%
Instructional Support, 5%

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Reading Assistant
Reading Assistant vs Instructional Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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