K-12 classroom support
Teacher Assistant
The cheapest way to find out whether teaching is for you.
Typical pay
$28k-$45k
How you get in
High school diploma plus a district assessment or associate degree
Outlook
Steady; districts are chronically short of paraprofessionals
Teacher assistants — paraprofessionals — support instruction, work with small groups and often provide one-on-one help to students with disabilities. It is the lowest-barrier job in a school and the most common on-ramp to a teaching license.
A day in the life
- 7:30aPrep materials and review the day with the lead teacher
- 8:00aSupport arrival and morning routines
- 9:00aSmall-group reading intervention
- 11:30aLunch and recess duty
- 12:30pOne-on-one support for a student with an IEP
- 3:00pPrep tomorrow's materials, help with dismissal
How to get in
Direct hire
Duration
2-6 weeks
Cost
$0-$100 for the assessment
Credential
High school diploma plus the ParaPro assessment or 2 years of college
- Apply directly to a school district
- Pass the ParaPro assessment or show 60 college credits, depending on your state
- Clear the background check and fingerprinting
- Start in a general or special education classroom
Para to teacher
Duration
2-4 years
Cost
$0-$40,000, often district-subsidized
Credential
Bachelor's plus teaching license
- Work as a paraprofessional and confirm the classroom suits you
- Use district grow-your-own programs — many pay most of the tuition
- Complete a bachelor's and licensure, often part-time
- Move into your own classroom with real experience behind you
Special education paraprofessional
Duration
2-6 weeks
Cost
$0-$500
Credential
Same, plus district behavior training
- Apply specifically for special education support roles, which are hardest to fill
- Complete behavior and crisis training the district provides
- Build specialized experience that is genuinely scarce
- Strongest possible foundation for a special education license later
What people love
- · Hired with a high school diploma or an associate degree
- · School calendar with summers and holidays off
- · Real classroom experience before committing to a degree
- · Districts often subsidize your teaching credential
What wears people down
- · Low pay, and often only part-time hours
- · Responsibility well beyond the pay grade
- · Little authority or say in decisions
- · Behavior support can be physically demanding