Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between special education teachers and instructional paraprofessionals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a special education teacher has an average salary of $54,290, which is higher than the $31,835 average annual salary of an instructional paraprofessional.
The top three skills for a special education teacher include classroom management, autism and behavior management. The most important skills for an instructional paraprofessional are mathematics, instructional materials, and IEP.
| Special Education Teacher | Instructional Paraprofessional | |
| Yearly salary | $54,290 | $31,835 |
| Hourly rate | $26.10 | $15.31 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 67,699 | 49,766 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Special education teachers and instructional paraprofessionals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Education Teacher | Instructional Paraprofessional | |
| Average salary | $54,290 | $31,835 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $73,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Washington |
| Best paying company | Baltimore City Public Schools | Boston Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a special education teacher and an instructional paraprofessional in terms of educational background:
| Special Education Teacher | Instructional Paraprofessional | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Special Education | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between special education teachers' and instructional paraprofessionals' demographics:
| Special Education Teacher | Instructional Paraprofessional | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.6% Female, 75.4% | Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 3.6% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 8.8% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |