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The differences between teacher assistants and teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a teacher has an average salary of $47,989, which is higher than the $27,103 average annual salary of a teacher assistant.
The top three skills for a teacher assistant include CPR, child care and mathematics. The most important skills for a teacher are ESL, handle scheduling, and kids.
| Teacher Assistant | Teacher | |
| Yearly salary | $27,103 | $47,989 |
| Hourly rate | $13.03 | $23.07 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 77,358 | 71,918 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4.14 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Teacher assistants are responsible for aiding teachers in their needs inside the classroom. They help teachers prepare for lessons in class, set up equipment, distribute educational materials to students, and monitor the progress of the students. Teacher assistants also help in managing the children in the classroom, as well as providing the necessary assistance a child may need. This may include helping with the lessons by going table to table, assisting in writing exercises, and tutoring kids one-to-one. Teacher assistants are required to have patience, flexibility, and classroom management skills.
Being a teacher is one of the most passionate professions, among others. Teachers educate, motivate, and guide every generation of learners to prepare them for the real world. Every teacher is unique and has their own teaching styles and methods depending on the subject they teach and the age of their students. Oftentimes they also function as a parent, counselor, coach, friend, and even a lawmaker. There is essentially no limit to the roles a teacher portrays.
Teacher assistants and teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Teacher Assistant | Teacher | |
| Average salary | $27,103 | $47,989 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $34,000 | Between $32,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Coventry, RI | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Maryland |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | King Low Heywood Thomas |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Education |
There are a few differences between a teacher assistant and a teacher in terms of educational background:
| Teacher Assistant | Teacher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Elementary Education |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between teacher assistants' and teachers' demographics:
| Teacher Assistant | Teacher | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.5% Female, 78.5% | Male, 25.7% Female, 74.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 7.8% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |