Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between special education assistants and education paraprofessionals 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 $31,158 average annual salary of an education paraprofessional.
The top three skills for a special education assistant include paraprofessional, behavior management and IEP. The most important skills for an education paraprofessional are autism, behavioral issues, and mathematics.
| Special Education Assistant | Education Paraprofessional | |
| Yearly salary | $32,149 | $31,158 |
| Hourly rate | $15.46 | $14.98 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 62,239 | 53,164 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A special education assistant is responsible for supporting class activities in an inclusive classroom setting, assisting students with their tasks under the supervision of a special education teacher. Special education assistants create comprehensive lesson plans which adhere to the students' curriculum and special needs. They also help with developing engaging activities to promote an active learning environment while monitoring the students' personal and social behavior. A special education assistant must have excellent communication and organization skills, ensuring the progress of the students by regular interaction, and managing their needs.
An education paraprofessional's role is to carry out support tasks for a teacher in a school setting. They are responsible for creating learning materials such as visual aids and presentations, participating in devising lesson plans and assessment methods, grading and evaluating student performances, and even maintaining order in the classroom. There are also instances where they must assist students who are having difficulties catching up with the lessons. Furthermore, an education paraprofessional may also teach under the supervision of a more experienced educator.
Special education assistants and education paraprofessionals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Education Assistant | Education Paraprofessional | |
| Average salary | $32,149 | $31,158 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $24,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Benicia Unified School District | Boston Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Education | Finance |
There are a few differences between a special education assistant and an education paraprofessional in terms of educational background:
| Special Education Assistant | Education Paraprofessional | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between special education assistants' and education paraprofessionals' demographics:
| Special Education Assistant | Education Paraprofessional | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.9% Female, 78.1% | Male, 19.7% Female, 80.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |