How to hire a special education aide

How to hire a special education aide, step by step

Here's a step-by-step special education aide hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a special education aide job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new special education aide
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a special education aide do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a special education aide, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A special education aide's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, special education aides from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of special education aide salaries for various roles:

   Type of Special Education Aide	Description	Hourly rate
   Special Education Aide	Teacher assistants work under a teacher’s supervision to give students additional attention and instruction.	$12-18
   Teacher Internship	Teaching interns are individuals who assist teachers and educators in the classroom. The interns are instructed to fulfill the tasks set out and provided by the supervisors for them... Show more	$16-32
   Substitute Paraprofessional	The man who is highly acclaimed working in the education field is simply known as the substitute paraprofessional. These professionals are education workers who help licensed teachers in student administration.	$11-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Behavior Management
   • Paraprofessional
   • IEP
   • Autism
   • Behavioral Issues
   • CPR
   • Adaptive
   • Math
   • Instructional Support
   • Physical Disabilities
   • Instructional Materials
   • Clerical Tasks
   • Mathematics
   • Physical Care

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Substitute in various classrooms working with k-12 children.
   • Check blood pressure, temperature, and vital signs, CPR.

   More special education aide duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the special education aide job description is a good way to get more applicants. A special education aide salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a special education aide in Louisiana may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level special education aide. Additionally, a special education aide with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average special education aide salary

   $15.21hourly

   $31,638 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level special education aide salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average special education aide salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$35,656	$17
   2	California	$34,037	$16
   3	New Jersey	$32,391	$16
   4	Pennsylvania	$32,190	$15
   5	Ohio	$28,424	$14
   6	Texas	$27,841	$13
   7	South Carolina	$27,756	$13
   8	Colorado	$27,230	$13
   9	Maryland	$27,143	$13
   10	Michigan	$26,824	$13
   11	Idaho	$26,148	$13

   Average special education aide salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bear Valley Unified School District	$37,713	$18.13
   2	Campbell Union High School District	$37,155	$17.86	20
   3	Washington Union High School	$36,267	$17.44	2
   4	Washington Elementary School District	$36,240	$17.42	7
   5	Summit School	$36,158	$17.38	2
   6	Valley Forge Educational Services	$35,242	$16.94
   7	Sacramento City Unified School District	$35,063	$16.86	47
   8	Santa Barbara County Education Office	$35,057	$16.85	9
   9	Tulare Western High School	$34,742	$16.70	3
   10	Spectrum Center Schools	$34,732	$16.70	10
   11	Eastern Suffolk BOCES	$34,600	$16.63
   12	Grossmont College	$34,458	$16.57	12
   13	Brown County	$34,404	$16.54	1
   14	Charter Schools USA	$34,341	$16.51	2
   15	Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District	$34,150	$16.42
   16	Ross Valley School District	$34,011	$16.35	8
   17	East Whittier City School District	$33,778	$16.24	2
   18	Urban Discovery Schools	$33,489	$16.10	1
   19	Sterling High School	$33,452	$16.08	1
   20	KIPP Massachusetts	$33,245	$15.98	8

4. Writing a special education aide job description

   A special education aide job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a special education aide job description:

   Special education aide job description example

   SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:
   
   At the direction of the principal, assists teachers by performing a variety of tasks that promote student learning and well-being. Works individually and in small groups to reinforce instruction, monitor performance, and support learning. This position also performs a variety of instructional and classroom management supports, as well as related clerical tasks to support teachers and other professional staff in all classrooms or learning environments.
   
   CERTIFICATE LICENSE:
   
   None
   
   KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:
   
   Knowledge of child development, instructional strategies and practices applicable to assignment, and instructional goals and policies of Montgomery County Public Schools. Ability to assist with implementation of the instructional program and to participate in monitoring and ensuring appropriate student behavior. Ability to exhibit patient behavior and to work effectively with children, young adults, and staff members. Ability to follow written and verbal instructions and to perform all required tasks. Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing. Ability to read/write/speak English. Ability to interact with and support students with special needs. Knowledge of standard desktop computer hardware and software such as MS Office products and database software. Knowledge of and the ability to meet the seven core competencies of the Supporting Services Professional Growth System (SSPGS).
   
   EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE:
   
   These requirements are in order of preference. 1. AA degree, required. Bachelor s degree preferred. College course work should include a minimum of nine credit-hours related to education field such as behavior management, instructional strategies, and one year experience working with students in structured educational (or academic) situations preferred. Or: If no related education course work, then two to four years experience working with children and adolescents required. I.e. working in a structured setting such as a daycare, pre-school, etc. required. 2. Or at least 48 college credits and two years of experience in an education related field including preschool, adult day program, after school program, extended day, or school/non-school based departments, etc. 3. Or two years of experience in an education related field including nursery school, adult day program, after school program, extended day, or school/non-school based departments, etc., and successful completion of the ParaPro Assessment with a qualifying score of 455 or higher is required. I.e. Opportunity for current supporting services employees 4. Any combinations of applicable education, training, and experience which provide the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position may be considered.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right special education aide for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your special education aide job on Zippia to find and recruit special education aide candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit special education aides, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new special education aide

   Once you have selected a candidate for the special education aide position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new special education aide. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a special education aide?