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The differences between school aides and teacher assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a school aide has an average salary of $29,896, which is higher than the $27,103 average annual salary of a teacher assistant.
The top three skills for a school aide include CPR, role model and direct supervision. The most important skills for a teacher assistant are CPR, child care, and mathematics.
| School Aide | Teacher Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $29,896 | $27,103 |
| Hourly rate | $14.37 | $13.03 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 69,231 | 77,358 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
School aides assist teachers in supervising students throughout the school year. The aides help teachers in their record-keeping tasks like grading assignments and taking attendance in class. Some of them help teachers keep the class running smoothly, while others work with students with special needs. They attend staff meetings, in-service training, and school programs. It is part of their job to establish spreadsheets and databases to improve the inventory management of tuition payments and uniforms. They also apply planning, prioritization, and project management skills toward achieving deadlines while they maintain high-quality standards.
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.
School aides and teacher assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Aide | Teacher Assistant | |
| Average salary | $29,896 | $27,103 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $39,000 | Between $21,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Brentwood, NY | Coventry, RI |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | St. Clare Catholic School | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Education | Finance |
There are a few differences between a school aide and a teacher assistant in terms of educational background:
| School Aide | Teacher Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between school aides' and teacher assistants' demographics:
| School Aide | Teacher Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.4% Female, 72.6% | Male, 21.5% Female, 78.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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% |