Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between special education assistants and educational aids 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 $29,988 average annual salary of an educational aid.
The top three skills for a special education assistant include paraprofessional, behavior management and IEP. The most important skills for an educational aid are behavior management, CPR, and instructional materials.
| Special Education Assistant | Educational Aid | |
| Yearly salary | $32,149 | $29,988 |
| Hourly rate | $15.46 | $14.42 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 62,239 | 71,043 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| 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 educational aide is needed to thoroughly manage and assess children's development and learning. They help teachers monitor students' development and class standing. They provide hands-on tutoring to children in need of additional study courses. They also help teachers develop lesson plans, assist with distributing handouts, and collect homework. They can act as teachers when the lead teacher is absent. To make learning lively, they help in room beautification and cleanliness.
Special education assistants and educational aids have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Education Assistant | Educational Aid | |
| Average salary | $32,149 | $29,988 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $23,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Fairfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Benicia Unified School District | Point Loma Nazarene University |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a special education assistant and an educational aid in terms of educational background:
| Special Education Assistant | Educational Aid | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between special education assistants' and educational aids' demographics:
| Special Education Assistant | Educational Aid | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.9% Female, 78.1% | Male, 23.0% Female, 77.0% |
| 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, 12.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 7.8% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |