How to hire a special education instructional assistant

How to hire a special education instructional assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step special education instructional assistant 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 instructional assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new special education instructional assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a special education instructional assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a special education instructional assistant, 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a special education instructional assistant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a special education instructional assistant that fits the bill.

   This list presents special education instructional assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Special Education Instructional Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Special Education Instructional Assistant	Teacher assistants work under a teacher’s supervision to give students additional attention and instruction.	$12-19
   Learning Support Teacher	Learning support teachers focus on offering out-of-school education to pupils who need additional help. Their duties include planning and implementing constructive teaching policies as well as collaborating with parents, other relevant professionals, and personnel... Show more	$11-23
   Classroom Aide	Classroom aides or teacher's aides are found in special education centers and schools. Some of their many roles include supervising field trips, attendance checking, and preparing classroom materials... Show more	$11-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Instructional Materials
   • Autism
   • Behavior Management
   • Math
   • Behavioral Problems
   • Mathematics
   • IEP
   • Instructional Assistance
   • Data Collection
   • Instructional Support
   • Adaptive
   • CPI
   • Student Performance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help to manage activities and assist with projects for autistic and ADHD diagnose preschoolers enroll in the special education summer program.
   • Perform responsible human support and paraprofessional work assisting classroom teacher or other professionals, achieve institution objectives.
   • Have taught math and done individualize instruction with modifications and adaptations for other students with learning disabilities.
   • Provide individual instruction in math and reading for kindergarten and first grade students identify as having learning and/or developmental disabilities.
   • Familiarize myself with ABA teaching and behavior techniques.
   • Support and assist in implementation of ABA and behavior plans.

   More special education instructional assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your special education instructional assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A special education instructional assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a special education instructional assistant in Oklahoma may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level special education instructional assistant usually earns less than a senior-level special education instructional assistant. Additionally, a special education instructional assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average special education instructional assistant salary

   $15.40hourly

   $32,025 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level special education instructional assistant salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average special education instructional assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$34,464	$17
   2	Connecticut	$31,983	$15
   3	Maryland	$28,899	$14
   4	Arizona	$28,388	$14
   5	Virginia	$28,333	$14
   6	Texas	$27,390	$13
   7	South Carolina	$25,593	$12

   Average special education instructional assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Goleta Union School District	$38,253	$18.39	2
   2	Campbell Union High School District	$37,539	$18.05	22
   3	Contra Costa College	$37,451	$18.01	3
   4	Culver City Unified School District	$37,340	$17.95	2
   5	North Monterey County Unified School District	$36,995	$17.79
   6	Peoria Unified School District	$36,362	$17.48	20
   7	Rialto Unified School District	$36,125	$17.37	1
   8	Santa Maria Joint Union High School District	$36,039	$17.33	14
   9	Rancho Alamitos High School	$35,855	$17.24	1
   10	Pasadena Unified School District	$35,786	$17.20	8
   11	West Covina USD	$35,754	$17.19	5
   12	Ocean View School District	$35,733	$17.18	4
   13	Arroyo Seco Junior High	$35,709	$17.17	7
   14	San Juan Unified School District	$35,558	$17.10	43
   15	Manassas City Public Schools Education Foundation	$35,483	$17.06	15
   16	Ross Valley School District	$35,389	$17.01	6
   17	California Montessori Project	$35,324	$16.98	2
   18	Riverside Unified School District	$35,173	$16.91
   19	Lawndale Elementary School District	$35,146	$16.90	4
   20	Pioneer High School	$34,967	$16.81	1

4. Writing a special education instructional assistant job description

   A good special education instructional assistant job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a special education instructional assistant job description:

   Special education instructional assistant job description example

   The BRIDGE program is a specialized, intensive program based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis that serves students on the Autism Spectrum. The program consists of a special education teacher, supporting instructional assistants, and consultation from a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Speech and Language Pathologist, and Occupational Therapist. The services provide to students in this program include a combination of discrete trial training, supported inclusion, small group activities, and incidental teaching. The goal of the program is for students to increase their independent skills in all areas, including academics, recreation, social, communication, self-care, motor, behavior regulation, as well as the generalization of these skills to new situations and environments.
   Responsibilities
   
   1. Monitor and assist students as needed in their daily routines across classroom activities and/or settings.
   
   2. Assist in collecting data for behavioral or academic progress.
   
   3. Initiate and follow through with behavioral interventions as designated and demonstrated by the classroom teacher.
   
   4. Participate in staff meetings regarding classroom curricular expectations as well as student needs across all developmental areas.
   
   5. Lead and/or facilitate teaching of individuals in 1:1, small group, or whole class instruction.
   
   6. Assist individual students as necessary to follow routines, follow directions, follow an individual schedule, and/or complete tasks.
   
   7. Monitor students at all times including on/off the bus, lunch, and times of transition.
   
   8. Assist with students requiring self-help skills in the areas of safety, eating, and toileting. 9. Create materials as time allows and directed by teacher.
   
   10. Prepare room daily for instruction in the morning or end of day as designated by teacher.
   
   11. Remain professional and keep student information confidential at all times.
   
   Qualifications
   
   1. Minimum of two years of college or equivalent two years experience working with children 2. Preferred knowledge/experience of working with students on the autism spectrum
   
   3. Preferred Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) knowledge and/or experience
   
   Supplemental Information
   
   Andover Public Schools (APS) seeks candidates who embody our ethos, which includes valuing the identities of all students, high expectations for all students, teaching excellence, collaboration, innovation, respect, and responsibility.
   
   APS is committed to hiring and supporting a racially and ethnically diverse faculty and staff. Racially and ethnically diverse teachers produce a myriad of positive outcomes for all students, especially the most historically marginalized students.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right special education instructional assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with special education instructional assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit special education instructional assistants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting special education instructional assistants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 instructional assistant

   Once you've selected the best special education instructional assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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 instructional assistant?