Education, Training, and Library · Holland code SCA
Teaching Assistants, Special Education
Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher to provide academic, social, or life skills to students who have learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Serve in a position for which a teacher has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.
Also called: Paraprofessional (Para), SPED Aide (Special Education Aide), SPED Para (Special Education Paraprofessional), SPED TA (Special Education Teacher Assistant), Assistant Instructor, Co-Teacher, Educational Assistant, Paraeducator.
O*NET 25-9043.00
At a glance
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree
- 39% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Provide assistance to students with special needs.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
- Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
- Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
- Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.
- Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
- Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
- Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening3.9 / 5
- Speaking3.8 / 5
- Reading Comprehension3.6 / 5
- Learning Strategies3.6 / 5
- Monitoring3.6 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.4 / 5
Knowledge areas
- English Language3.5 / 5
- Psychology3.4 / 5
- Education and Training2.9 / 5
- Customer and Personal Service2.8 / 5
- Mathematics2.7 / 5
- Public Safety and Security2.6 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic16
- Investigative38
- Artistic39
- Social100
- Enterprising19
- Conventional43
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- special educational needs assistant · DE Lehrassistent Sonderpädagogik/Lehrassistentin Sonderpädagogik · FR assistant en éducation spécialisée/assistante en éducation spécialisée
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Higher level teaching assistants (3231)62,100 employed
- Teaching assistants (6112)151,100 employed
- Educational support assistants (6113)327,200 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Service and sales workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €32,957 |
| Sweden | €32,596 |
| Netherlands | €29,198 |
| Austria | €29,068 |
| Germany | €27,471 |
| Ireland | €26,978 |
| Italy | €24,995 |
| France | €24,971 |
| Spain | €18,303 |
| Portugal | €10,656 |
| Poland | €7,579 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Related careers
Is it a fit for you?
Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.
Take the career interests test