To become a paraprofessional in a U.S. public school, you need a high school diploma and, for instructional roles in schools that receive federal Title I funds, one more thing: two years of college, an associate degree, or a passing score on a state or local skills test. Some states add their own certificate on top, and the district that hires you will tell you which one applies.
This guide is for anyone considering work as a paraprofessional, teacher aide or teaching assistant, whether you're a parent, a career changer or planning to teach later.
Paraprofessionals work in several kinds of roles
Paraprofessionals support a certified teacher. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) describes the work as reinforcing lessons "with students one-on-one or in small groups," and notes that some assistants "work exclusively with special education students who attend traditional classes."
The title changes by state and district: paraprofessional, paraeducator, teacher aide, instructional assistant, educational aide (Texas and Ohio) or teaching assistant (New York). Common assignments include:
- Special education: supporting students with disabilities in a general classroom or a special education class
- Title I instruction: small-group reading and math help in schools that receive federal Title I funds
- One-on-one support: working with a single student throughout the day
- Bilingual and family support: translating for students and families, or running family engagement activities
Some school support jobs, such as personal care, clerical work and computer help, are not instructional, and the federal rules below don't apply to them.
Paraprofessional job requirements start with a federal rule
Federal regulations for schools that receive Title I funds set the baseline. Under 34 CFR 200.58 (opens in a new tab), every paraprofessional with instructional duties must have "a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent," and a paraprofessional hired today must also have one of the following:
- At least two years of study at a college or university
- An associate degree or higher
- A passing score on "a formal State or local academic assessment" of reading, writing and math, and the ability to help teach them
The rule covers every paraprofessional in a "schoolwide program" Title I school, and those paid with Title I funds in other Title I schools. Staff who only translate or only run family engagement activities are exempt from the college-or-test requirement, though they still need the diploma. The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 kept these qualifications in place and lets states set their own standards on top of them.
"Two years of college" means a set number of credits, and states count differently. Texas and California use 48 semester hours; South Carolina uses 60. A diploma alone never qualifies for the test route; you need both.
Paraprofessional certification usually starts with a skills test
If you don't have the college credits, the test is the usual route. For years the standard test was the ParaPro Assessment from Educational Testing Service (ETS), which measured "skills and knowledge in reading, writing and math" and the ability to apply them in the classroom.
ETS replaced ParaPro with a new test, ParaPathways (opens in a new tab), at the start of September 2026, according to state education agencies in Connecticut and Arkansas. If you're testing now, you'll take ParaPathways. It has two separately timed parts, reading and writing, and math, with 87 questions in all, according to a November 2025 Connecticut State Board of Education memo. ETS lists the full fee at $75.
There is no national passing score. ETS publishes each state's requirements (opens in a new tab), and in some states, including Texas, the score is set by district. Under ParaPro, for example, Ohio required 456 and Colorado 460. Some states still accept ParaPro scores earned before the switch, through August 2027, so ask the district which test and score it accepts before you register.
Some states use other tests. In California, the state Department of Education notes that "many districts use the California Basic Educational Skills Test [CBEST]" for the local assessment.
State certification rules vary widely
On top of the federal rule, some states require a certificate for every aide, whatever the funding, and others leave it to districts. Four examples show the range, as of October 2026:
| State | Credential | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Educational Aide I, II or III | Diploma plus experience for Aide I; 15 college hours or two years as an Aide I for Aide II; 30 college hours or three years as an Aide I or II for Aide III. Your district recommends you and tells you when to apply. Valid two years; $15 fee plus fingerprinting. |
| New York | Initial Teaching Assistant certificate | Diploma or GED, a passing score on a state teaching assistant exam, required workshops and fingerprinting. Valid five years. |
| California | Set by districts | No state test. Districts set the requirements and run the local assessment. |
| Ohio | Educational Aide Permit | Diploma or equivalent and a district recommendation; one-year or four-year permit. Title I instructional aides must also meet the federal qualifications, which can be noted on the permit as "ESEA Qualified." |
Sources: Texas Administrative Code, 19 TAC Chapter 230, Subchapter E; New York State Education Department; California Department of Education; Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Properly Certified or Licensed Toolkit 2025-2026.
Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidance (opens in a new tab) is explicit: "Do not apply for an Educational Aide certificate unless your employing school district has instructed you to do so." New York's requirements are on the state Education Department's teaching assistant page (opens in a new tab).
Pay is modest, and many jobs follow the school calendar
BLS reports that the lowest-paid 10% of teacher assistants earned less than $27,150 and the highest-paid 10% more than $50,040. It also notes that "many teacher assistants do not work during the summer," so annual pay often reflects a school-year schedule.
There were about 1.46 million teacher assistant jobs in 2025, according to BLS, which projects about 176,200 openings a year through 2035, mostly to replace people who leave. When a district lists pay in a posting, it's often an hourly rate, so multiply by the daily hours and the number of school days to compare offers.
How to get hired as a paraprofessional
- Read local postings first. They show the title your districts use, the requirements they list and whether they want special education or bilingual experience.
- Gather your documents. Your diploma or equivalent, and college transcripts if you have credits.
- Take the skills test if you need it. Confirm which test and passing score the district accepts before you register.
- Expect a background check. Texas and New York both require fingerprinting.
- Apply for any state certificate when the district tells you to. In Texas, that happens after you're hired.
Prepare for the interview around the job's real duties
There's no official list of paraprofessional interview questions, so prepare for the duties instead. Have a short, specific example ready for each:
- Following a teacher's plan and taking direction, including when you'd have done it differently
- Supporting a student with an individualized education program (IEP), or a student who is struggling to read or do math
- Responding calmly when a student's behavior escalates
- Keeping student information confidential
- Working with families, including in another language if you speak one
The guide to teacher interview questions explains how school panels structure and score interviews, and most of it applies to paraprofessional interviews too.
Next step
Set up a free job alert for paraprofessional, teacher aide or instructional assistant roles in your area, and new openings will arrive by email.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your state education agency or the district you're applying to.
