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What is a special education aide and how to become one
If you are passionate about helping all children access education, regardless of their abilities, then a career as a special education aide might be a good choice for you. A special education aide works with teachers and therapists to help students with disabilities succeed.
While a teacher manages the whole classroom, the special education aide works with an individual student or small group to support the teacher's learning goals and help the students meet their needs. The work will vary with each child's needs--some may need an aide's assistance with physical tasks such as eating, others need help managing their emotions.
Most special education aides have associate's or bachelor's degrees in education, and some states require additional licenses to work with special education students. You should also have experience working with children. As a special education aide, be ready to go above and beyond during the school day and be your student's compassionate advocate.
What general advice would you give to a special education aide?
Chris Craig
Deputy Provost, Missouri State University
Avg. Salary $31,638
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 4%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.22%
Asian 8.06%
Black or African American 9.09%
Hispanic or Latino 19.79%
Unknown 4.45%
White 57.39%
Genderfemale 80.01%
male 19.99%
Age - 45American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 45Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is basic
7 - challenging
Work life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
Special education aide career paths
Key steps to become a special education aide
Explore special education aide education requirements
Start to develop specific special education aide skills
Skills Percentages Behavior Management 13.59% Paraprofessional 9.59% IEP 8.06% Autism 6.77% Behavioral Issues 6.08% Gain additional special education aide certifications
More About CertificationsSpecial education aide certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific special education aide certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for special education aides include Advanced First Aid & CPR and Medical Assistant.
Research special education aide duties and responsibilities
- Perform responsible human support and paraprofessional work assisting classroom teacher or other professionals, achieve institution objectives.
- Provide one-on-one and group instructional support assistance to students in math, English, reading, comprehension, and life skills.
- Assist teachers inside their special needs classrooms k-12
- Supervise students in classrooms, cafeterias and hallways.
Prepare your special education aide resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your special education aide resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a special education aide resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable special education aide resume templates
Build a professional special education aide resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your special education aide resume.
Apply for special education aide jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a special education aide job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first special education aide job
Are you a special education aide?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average special education aide salary
The average special education aide salary in the United States is $31,638 per year or $15 per hour. Special education aide salaries range between $25,000 and $39,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do special education aides rate their job?
Special education aide reviews
Helping students with various intellectual or behavior disabilities to be successful in the classroom and in life.
As a paraprofessional, you often get left out of Professional Development activities, vertical team meetings, etc. and have a limited capacity to influence educational decisions within the organization.
No support from administration, supervisor, no union representative in house at schools to support job issues and concerns .
The kids light up my days.
The demand and low pay. Teachers have families, too.
Updated January 8, 2025
