A Paraprofessional Aide supports classroom instruction and student care — typically assigned to a teacher or specific student to provide the additional adult support a classroom needs.
Paraprofessional Aide pay typically runs $29K–$44K at this level.
A typical day is driven by the lead teacher's plan and the assigned student's needs. You're running small groups, providing 1:1 support during instruction, helping with transitions and self-care tasks, and supervising during non-academic times. Schedules are usually predictable but interrupt-heavy.
The collaboration is constant. You're working with the teacher, special-ed staff, OT/PT/speech providers, and parents, and you're often the one adult who knows a struggling student's patterns in detail. Your observations frequently shape the team's decisions even when you're not at the table.
People who tend to thrive bring patience, reliability, and emotional steadiness in tough moments. If modest compensation, the dependence on someone else's leadership style, or the limited progression in para roles would weigh on you, the role asks for staying power.
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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 Paraprofessional Aide supports classroom instruction and student care — typically assigned to a teacher or specific student to provide the additional adult support a classroom needs.
Median pay for a Paraprofessional 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 Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, and Service Orientation.
Most people in this role hold a high school diploma.
Closely related roles include Paraeducator, Instructional Assistant, and BSIP Instructional Aide (Basic Skills Improvement Program Instructional Aide).
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