How Much Does a Teacher's Aide Get Paid?

Well, to be honest, a Teacher Aide gets paid rather well in all kinds of ways.

One of them is via a very decent salary, the others may be less tangible, but they’re no less rewarding.

The rewards of working with young minds

If you think a Teacher Aide merely handles class work, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.

Teacher Aides have evolved into highly integral and active members of the class dynamic. While they may not have the qualifications of a teacher, they perform many of the tasks of a teacher.

A Teacher Aide will often be directly involved in the creation of coursework. Yes, coursework! That means elaborately planning and developing the very work your class will do each week; tasks, activities, and assignments. That alone makes life as a Teacher Aide hugely stimulating and challenging.

The rewards of helping one-on-one

If you see a student struggling with a task, do you have to sit there and wait for the teacher to help them? No, as a Teacher Aide, you will be qualified and entitled to go and assist that child yourself.

Over the course of any given day, you’ll do exactly this, and it may well be one of the most satisfying aspects of your job. After all, how nice is it to see someone you’ve helped start to succeed and thrive?

The rewards of being hands-on

As a Teacher Aide, you’ll probably also be involved in creating tests and exam papers and marking them. You’ll be reading and assessing student essays, critiquing artwork and grading papers.

Exactly how deeply you’re involved in the day-to-day running of the class will come down to the chemistry between you and the teacher. There are no set rules or agendas. Rest assured the best teachers know the benefits of working as a team. They know that a job shared is a job well done and that means a vital, integral role for you.

What do Teacher’s Aides do?

Some of the other rewarding Teacher Aide duties include:

• Supervising students during instruction, recess, hallways, etc., to maintain order and provide a good learning environment

• Assisting in developing, preparing, and distributing lessons and materials

• Handling difficult behavioural problems or safety issues directly

• Assisting teachers with records such as attendance and grades

The rewards of a great salary

Yes, the part you’ve all been waiting for. How much does a Teacher’s Aide get paid? As a Teacher Aide, you can expect to earn between $18 and $28 per hour (according to 2018 Payscale data) which equates to between $32,000 and $57,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications. A skill in Special Education is associated with high pay for this job.

How to become a Teacher’s Aide?

The first step is to get qualified. To be qualified to work as a Teacher Aide, you will need a nationally recognised qualification in education support. Foundation Education’s CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support will give you all the skills and knowledge you need. Check our article How To Become A Teacher's Aide for additional career information.

If you like the sound of this and want to be part of a rewarding career as an Education Assistant, check out our CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support or learn more about our other Childcare and Education courses. You can also fill out our Enquiry Form and or call 1300 616 197 to discuss your course options with one of our Careers Advisors.

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