Guide
Paraprofessional Salary: Teacher Aide Pay by District
Published
Paraprofessionals, also called teacher aides, start at $14.26 to $30.94 an hour in the 14 large districts we checked with hourly scales. Seattle Public Schools in Washington starts highest, and Fort Bend ISD in Texas starts lowest.
Pay rises with years of service and, in many districts, with college credits. Special education aides often sit on a higher grade.
Key Takeaways
- 7 of 14 districts with hourly scales start between $14.26 and $15.84 an hour.
- The top of an aide scale reaches $46.99 an hour in Prince George's County, Maryland.
- The median starting salary across 12 districts with annual scales is $27,507.50.
- Standard aide calendars run from 177 days in Cobb County to 208 days in Chicago.
Highest paraprofessional starting hourly pay
Paraprofessional hourly pay by district
Each range runs from the first step of the entry grade to the top step a district publishes for that job.
| District | State | Job title | Hourly range | School year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Public Schools | Washington | Instructional Assistant (Grade 18, PA3 203/7) | $30.94 to $42.07 | 2025-26 |
| Lake Washington School District | Washington | Special Education Para Educator | $30.79 to $36.21 | 2026-27 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | Washington | Education Support Professional ESP-4 (PA4) | $28.753 to $37.135 | 2026-27 |
| Baltimore County Public Schools | Maryland | Paraeducator (ESPBC, Grades 31-35) | $23.05 to $38.04 | 2026-27 |
| Wake County Public School System | North Carolina | Instructional Assistant (Noncertified Grade 20) | $18.95 (start) | Not stated |
| Prince George's County Public Schools | Maryland | Paraprofessional Educator | $18.17 to $46.99 | 2026-27 |
| Miami-Dade County Public Schools | Florida | Paraprofessional I - General - 10 mo (Grade P2) | $17.68 to $36.05 | 2025-26 |
| Broward County Public Schools | Florida | Instructional Assistant (Pay Grade 11, 189-day calendar) | $15.84 to $22.51 | 2026-27 |
| Granite School District | Utah | Paraeducator | $15.84 to $21.82 | 2024-25 |
| Orange County Public Schools | Florida | Ed. Paraprofessional Basic, Non-Certified, Non-Title I School (Grade 2) | $15.45 to $21.09 | 2025-26 |
| Fort Worth ISD | Texas | Teacher Assistant I | $15.25 to $21.49 | 2026-27 |
| Katy ISD | Texas | AIDE INSTRUCTIONAL | $15.12 to $20.68 | 2026-27 |
| Duval County Public Schools | Florida | Paraprofessional - Instruction (Regular Needs) RI | $15.10 to $18.36 | 2025-26 |
| Fort Bend ISD | Texas | AIDE INSTRUCTIONAL | $14.26 to $19.89 | 2026-27 |
Teacher aide salary per year
These districts publish aide pay as an annual salary. The low end is a new aide; the high end is the top step on the same scale.
| District | State | Job title | Annual range | School year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Public Schools | Washington | Instructional Assistant (Grade 18, PA3 203/7) | $43,966 to $59,781 | 2025-26 |
| Chicago Public Schools | Illinois | Teacher Assistant (208-day PSRP, 39.6-week schedule) | $39,453.33 to $60,805.34 | 2026-27 |
| Houston ISD | Texas | Special Education Paraprofessional (NES campuses) | $35,000 to $41,000 | 2025-26 |
| New York City Public Schools | New York | Paraprofessional (Teacher Aide to Ed. Assoc. B) | $32,605 to $51,865 | 2026-27 |
| Fairfax County Public Schools | Virginia | Instructional Assistant (191-day, CIS scale) | $31,803 to $57,241 | Not stated |
| School District of Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | Classroom Assistant, Special Ed Assistant, Kindergarten Assistant (Pay Grade 559) | $28,271 to $39,101 | 2026-27 |
| Dallas ISD | Texas | Paraprofessional (Para 1 grade, 185 days) | $26,744 to $40,138 | 2025-26 |
| Gwinnett County Public Schools | Georgia | Paraprofessional | $25,200 to $40,226 | Not stated |
| Miami-Dade County Public Schools | Florida | Paraprofessional I - General - 10 mo (Grade P2) | $23,693 to $48,317 | 2025-26 |
| Fort Worth ISD | Texas | Teacher Assistant I | $22,326 to $31,461 | 2026-27 |
| Cobb County School District | Georgia | Paraprofessional | $22,175 to $40,866 | 2026-27 |
| Fort Bend ISD | Texas | AIDE INSTRUCTIONAL | $19,673 to $27,453 | 2026-27 |
Each district page shows the source, calendar length and grade notes.
What moves an aide up the scale
- Years of service. Lake Washington School District pays $30.79 to $36.21 an hour by years of service.
- College credits. Tacoma Public Schools adds $0.75 an hour for an associate degree and $1.00 for a bachelor's.
- Special education roles. Seattle Public Schools pays special education assistants $36.84 to $50.11 an hour, above the general aide grade.
- Longer calendars. Fairfax County Public Schools pays extended-day and 219-day assistants up to $65,632.
Aide pay compared with teacher pay
In Seattle Public Schools, a new aide starts at $43,966 while a new teacher with a bachelor's degree starts at $64,758. In Dallas ISD, a Para 1 aide starts at $26,744 and a new teacher at $68,000.
See first-year teacher salary for starting teacher pay, or substitute teacher pay for day rates.
Figures come from the official salary schedules linked on our state and district pages. Districts revise schedules, so confirm the school year and placement rules with the official source before you rely on a number.