A Learning Support Aide works with students who need extra academic, behavioral, or developmental help — typically in a school setting, alongside teachers and specialists.
Learning Support Aide pay typically runs $29K–$44K at this level.
Most days are shaped by assigned students and their plans. You might shadow one student through their full day, or rotate among several across classrooms, providing prompting, scaffolding, behavior support, and instructional reinforcement. The rhythm depends heavily on the students' needs and the school's inclusion model.
The collaboration tends to be heavier than the title suggests. You're working with classroom teachers, special-ed staff, related-service providers (OT, speech, BCBA), and parents, often executing strategies designed by others while sharing observations that reshape them. Documentation can be substantial.
People who tend to thrive bring patience, observational skill, and emotional regulation under behavioral challenge. If the modest pay, lack of formal authority over plans, or the cumulative weight of supporting struggling kids would erode you, the role asks for real staying power.
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Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
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Get your career on record. Then decide.
Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
A Learning Support Aide works with students who need extra academic, behavioral, or developmental help — typically in a school setting, alongside teachers and specialists.
Median pay for a Learning Support Aide is about $36K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $24K to $50K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, and Coordination.
Most people in this role hold a high school diploma.
Closely related roles include Bilingual Teacher Aide, Preschool Teacher Aide, and Practice Teacher.
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