How to hire a special education paraeducator

How to hire a special education paraeducator, step by step

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

What does a special education paraeducator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your special education paraeducator job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a special education paraeducator for hire on a part-time basis or as a 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 paraeducator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, special education paraeducators 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of special education paraeducators and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Special Education Paraeducator	Description	Hourly rate
   Special Education Paraeducator	Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. They adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with mild and moderate disabilities... Show more	$12-18
   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
   Learning Disabilities Teacher	A Learning Disability Teacher plays a vital role in ensuring that every child with special needs can be able to learn even though they are physically and mentally struggling because of their disability. This career does a lot of intervention and production of outcomes for the individual to understand the importance of studying... Show more	$13-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Instructional Support
   • Autism
   • Data Collection
   • Instructional Materials
   • IEP
   • Mathematics
   • Classroom Management
   • Applied Behavior Analysis
   • Math
   • Student Learning
   • CPI
   • Academic Support
   • Adaptive

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Perform responsible human support and paraprofessional work assisting classroom teacher or other professionals, achieve institution objectives.
   • Tutor students with academic subjects such as reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, language arts, and science.
   • Participate in transfer, graduation, and annual ARD's.
   • Attend CPSE meetings and create annual reports for the individual child.
   • Tutor students with math, English, computer, and science assignments.
   • Handle high risk behaviors as they arise in the classroom using CPI techniques.

   More special education paraeducator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your special education paraeducator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A special education paraeducator 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 paraeducator in Arkansas may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level special education paraeducator usually earns less than a senior-level special education paraeducator. Additionally, a special education paraeducator 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 paraeducator salary

   $15.43hourly

   $32,092 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level special education paraeducator salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average special education paraeducator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$37,837	$18
   2	Washington	$36,822	$18
   3	Minnesota	$36,116	$17
   4	Connecticut	$35,683	$17
   5	North Dakota	$32,080	$15
   6	Colorado	$31,947	$15
   7	Kansas	$30,515	$15
   8	Iowa	$28,522	$14
   9	Arizona	$26,501	$13

   Average special education paraeducator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	San Mateo County Office Of Education	$42,445	$20.41
   2	Louisiana State Police	$42,079	$20.23
   3	Oxnard School District	$37,172	$17.87
   4	Goleta Union School District	$36,850	$17.72	1
   5	Santa Barbara County Education Office	$36,256	$17.43	11
   6	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	$36,172	$17.39	48
   7	Community Youth Services	$36,155	$17.38
   8	Texas Christian University	$35,761	$17.19	3
   9	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	$35,233	$16.94	8
   10	Santa Cruz High School	$34,850	$16.75
   11	Simi Valley Unified School District	$34,685	$16.68	1
   12	Westminster School District	$34,638	$16.65	7
   13	Grandville Public Schools	$34,555	$16.61	11
   14	Santa Clara County Office of Education	$34,529	$16.60
   15	Bristol Public School District	$34,254	$16.47	28
   16	Excellence Community Schools	$33,721	$16.21	19
   17	Boulder Valley School District	$33,633	$16.17	18
   18	Patterson Joint Unified School District	$33,594	$16.15	3
   19	San Diego Unified School District	$33,593	$16.15
   20	Environmental Charter Schools	$33,452	$16.08	5

4. Writing a special education paraeducator job description

   A special education paraeducator 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a special education paraeducator job description:

   Special education paraeducator 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

   To find the right special education paraeducator 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 paraeducators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit special education paraeducators 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 paraeducator job on Zippia to find and recruit special education paraeducator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit special education paraeducators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 paraeducator

   Once you've selected the best special education paraeducator 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new special education paraeducator. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 paraeducator?