Teacher Aide Job Description: Duties, Template & Pay (2026)
A teacher aide works alongside a licensed teacher, giving students extra help one-on-one or in small groups, preparing materials, keeping records and supervising students in the classroom, lunchroom, hallways and playground. Whether the aide needs college coursework depends on the funding and the duties: aides who give instructional support in a Title I-funded program must meet federal paraprofessional qualifications, while lunch and recess aides with only non-instructional duties do not. This page has a teacher aide job description template, a lunch aide version, the federal qualification rule quoted at source, pay and interview questions.
What a teacher aide does
BLS covers teacher aides as teacher assistants (SOC 25-9045), who “work with a licensed teacher to give students additional attention and instruction.” O*NET's sample of reported job titles for the occupation includes teacher aide, classroom aide, instructional assistant, educational assistant, paraeducator and paraprofessional. Schools use those titles loosely; the duties you list and the funding source matter more than the title.
BLS lists these typical duties: reinforce lessons by reviewing material with students one-on-one or in small groups; follow school and class rules to teach students proper behavior; help teachers with recordkeeping, such as taking attendance and calculating grades; get equipment or materials ready for lessons; and supervise students outside of the classroom, such as between classes, during lunch and recess, and on field trips.
Teacher aide duties
From O*NET's task list for teaching assistants in preschool, elementary, middle and secondary schools:
- Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and reinforce concepts presented by teachers
- Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers
- Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards and gymnasiums, or on field trips
- Enforce administration policies and rules governing students, and teach social skills
- Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instruction
- Observe students' performance and record relevant data to assess progress
- Prepare lesson materials, displays and equipment; distribute and collect materials and assignments
- Take attendance and maintain attendance records
- Grade homework and tests and record results
- Assist with bus loading and unloading
The federal paraprofessional qualification rule
For aides who give instructional support in programs funded under Title I, Part A, the federal rule is 34 CFR 200.58. It requires the school district (LEA) to ensure that each covered paraprofessional meets these requirements:
- All paraprofessionals, 200.58(b): must have “earned a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent.”
- Paraprofessionals hired after January 8, 2002, 200.58(c): must have “(1) Completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education; (2) Obtained an associate's or higher degree; or (3)(i) Met a rigorous standard of quality, and can demonstrate—through a formal State or local academic assessment—knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instructing, as appropriate—(A) Reading/language arts, writing, and mathematics; or (B) Reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness.”
Who is covered matters as much as the requirements. Under 200.58(a)(2), “paraprofessional” means an individual who provides instructional support, and “Does not include individuals who have only non-instructional duties (such as providing technical support for computers, providing personal care services, or performing clerical duties).” Coverage applies to paraprofessionals in a schoolwide program school, to those paid with Title I funds in a targeted assistance school, and in some equitable-services roles. Under 200.58(e), bilingual aides who act as translators, or whose instructional-support duties consist solely of parental involvement activities, are exempt from the college or assessment requirement.
States add their own rules. The Texas Education Agency, for example, publishes these same three routes for Title I paraprofessionals and adds that paraprofessionals must meet the state's certification requirements. BLS notes that “Most states require teacher assistants who work with special-needs students to pass a skills test.” Background checks and fingerprinting for school employees are set by state law. Check your state education agency before you write the requirements line. This is general information, not legal advice.
Teacher aide job description template
Copy this into your ATS or job board, replace the bracketed fields and delete what does not apply. It is written for an instructional classroom aide in a public elementary school; the lunch aide version follows.
Job title
Teacher Aide [/ Instructional Paraprofessional], [Grade or program], [School or district name], [City, ST]
Summary
[School or district name] is hiring a teacher aide for [grade / program] at [school]. You will work alongside our classroom teachers to help students learn: working with small groups and individual students, preparing materials, keeping records and supervising students during the day. [Hours per day], [days per week], school-year calendar [with summers off].
[Start date]. [Hourly rate or salary schedule step]. [One sentence on what is good about working here.]
What you will do
• Work with students one-on-one and in small groups to reinforce lessons, under the teacher's direction
• Help students follow classroom rules and routines
• Prepare lesson materials and set up equipment
• Take attendance, record grades and track student progress
• Supervise students in the classroom, hallways, lunchroom, recess and on field trips
• Help with arrival, dismissal and bus duty
• [Support students with IEPs as directed, if applicable]
What you need
• High school diploma or equivalent
• [For Title I instructional roles:] two years of college study, an associate's degree or higher, or a passing score on [state / district paraprofessional assessment]
• [State certification or permit, if required]
• Ability to pass [background check and fingerprinting]
• Patience, reliability and clear communication with children and adults
Nice to have
• Experience in a classroom, childcare, tutoring or camp setting
• [CPR and first aid]
• [Bilingual English / Spanish]
What we offer
• [Pay rate], [hours guaranteed]
• [Benefits and eligibility]
• School calendar, [holidays and breaks]
• [Paid training or tuition help toward teacher certification]
How to apply
[One step. Say when interviews happen and the start date.]
Lunch aide job description
A lunch aide, also called a lunchroom, cafeteria or recess aide, supervises students during lunch and often recess. It is usually part-time, a few hours in the middle of the day. Because the duties are non-instructional, the Title I paraprofessional qualifications in 34 CFR 200.58 generally do not apply; state and district rules on background checks still do.
Adjust the template this way: title it “Lunch Aide” or “Lunch and Recess Aide”, state the exact hours (for example, 10:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.), and replace the duties with:
- Supervise students in the cafeteria and on the playground and keep them safe
- Help younger students open containers, find seats and follow lunchroom routines
- Enforce school rules calmly and consistently, and report behavior problems to staff
- Respond to spills, minor injuries and allergy procedures as trained
- Help with line-up, clean-up and the transition back to class
Requirements should be short: a background check, reliability and comfort with a loud room of children. Parents, retirees and students with midday availability are your natural pool, so say the hours in the first line.
Requirements: what to ask for, and what to drop
| Requirement | What to know |
|---|---|
| Two years of college or associate's degree | Required for Title I instructional paraprofessionals, but the formal assessment is an equal route under 200.58(c)(3). List all three routes, not just the degree. |
| High school diploma | Keep it for instructional roles; it is required for all covered paraprofessionals under 200.58(b). |
| Teaching experience | Drop it. Childcare, tutoring, coaching, camp and parenting experience transfer well. |
| Special education skills test | BLS says most states require one for aides who work with special-needs students. Name it if your role needs it. |
| Background check | Keep it, and say it in the posting. Candidates expect it for school roles. |
| Hours and calendar | Be exact. Hours per day, whether summers are paid, and benefit eligibility decide who applies. |
Customizing it by setting
Special education aide
Supports students with IEPs, sometimes one-to-one. Mention personal care duties, behavior support training and any required state skills test. The paraprofessional interview questions page covers screening for this role.
Preschool and pre-K aide
More routines, play, toileting and hand-washing, and less academic tutoring. Childcare licensing rules may apply to the program; check them. See childcare interview questions for screening.
Private and charter schools
Title I coverage depends on the funding; private school aides are generally outside it unless they are district employees providing equitable services. State rules may still apply.
Bus and recess aide
Non-instructional supervision like the lunch aide. Name the route times or recess periods.
What teacher aides earn
Teacher assistants had a median wage of $36,780 a year in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,150 and the highest 10 percent more than $50,040. BLS publishes this as an annual figure; many aides work a school-year schedule, and BLS notes that “Many teacher assistants do not work during the summer.”
| Industry (May 2025) | Median annual wage | Share of teacher assistant jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary and secondary schools; private | $37,090 | 9% |
| Elementary and secondary schools; local | $36,970 | 72% |
| Child daycare services | $34,920 | 10% |
BLS counted 1,463,000 teacher assistant jobs in 2025 and projects little or no change in employment from 2025 to 2035. Despite that, it projects about 176,200 openings a year over the decade. BLS does not publish a separate wage for lunch aides. For public districts, the pay line is often set by a classified staff salary schedule; quote the step and hourly rate in the posting.
Interview questions for a teacher aide
These six questions test judgment with children, working under a teacher's direction and reliability.
1. A student refuses to start their work and says it is too hard. What do you do?
A good answer: stay calm, break the task into a smaller first step, encourage, and tell the teacher if it continues. Doing the work for the student is the wrong instinct.
2. The teacher asks you to run a small reading group in a way you think is not working. How do you handle it?
Look for following the teacher's plan, sharing what they observed privately and at the right time, and accepting the teacher's decision.
3. Two students start pushing each other at recess. Walk me through what you do.
Strong candidates separate them safely, check for injuries, follow the school's procedure and report it. Listen for calm, not punishment.
4. What would you do if a student told you something that worried you about their safety at home?
The right answer is to listen, not promise secrecy, and report it right away to the designated person following school policy. Anyone who says they would handle it themselves needs follow-up.
5. Tell me about a time you helped a child learn something.
Any setting counts: tutoring, coaching, parenting, camp. You are listening for patience and for noticing what the child needed.
6. Our hours are [hours] on the school calendar. How does that fit your life?
Ask it directly. Part-time hours and unpaid summers suit some candidates and not others, and a clear answer now prevents a mid-year quit.
What it costs to reach a teacher aide
Our 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark does not have an aide-specific family. The closest is the teacher / instructor role family, which ran a median cost per applicant of $30.95 on Meta, with the middle half of campaigns between $16.60 and $56.74, a blended figure of $25.13 and an 8 percent apply rate. That family includes credentialed teaching roles, so it is not an aide-specific figure. The behavioral and education sector as a whole ran a $27.50 median at a 10 percent apply rate. The all-role median is $13.88. That is cost per applicant, not cost per hire.
Apply rate explains 70 percent of the variation in cost per applicant across the benchmark. A short form that asks only what disqualifies (availability for the hours, high school diploma, for Title I roles which qualification route they meet) keeps more of the people who click. See the full benchmark data.
The job description is not the job ad
Districts often post the full job description on a job board and wait. The people you want, parents with school-day availability, former childcare workers and college students, are often not searching a district careers page at all. Many of them are on Facebook and Instagram every day.
- Lead with the hours and the calendar. “School hours, summers off” is the headline for many candidates.
- Say whether a degree is required, and name the assessment route if it applies.
- Use the school name and neighborhood. Local matters in this role.
- Keep the form short and call back fast; the formal district application can come after the first conversation.
More on the ad side is in social media job advertising. Related roles: teacher job description and elementary school teacher job description.
Frequently asked questions
What does a teacher aide do?
A teacher aide works with a licensed teacher to give students extra attention and instruction. Duties include reviewing lessons with students one-on-one or in small groups, helping students follow class rules, preparing materials, taking attendance and recording grades, and supervising students between classes, at lunch and recess, and on field trips.
What qualifications does a teacher aide need?
All Title I paraprofessionals need a high school diploma or equivalent. Those giving instructional support in Title I programs and hired after January 8, 2002 also need two years of college study, an associate's degree or higher, or a passing score on a formal state or local assessment, under 34 CFR 200.58. States can add certification and skills tests.
Do teacher aides need a college degree?
Not always. BLS says teacher assistants in public schools need at least 2 years of college coursework or an associate's degree, but the federal Title I rule also accepts a formal state or local academic assessment instead. Aides with only non-instructional duties, such as lunch or clerical work, are not covered by that rule.
What does a lunch aide do?
A lunch aide supervises students in the cafeteria and often at recess. They keep students safe, help younger children with food and seating, enforce school rules calmly, respond to spills and minor injuries, follow allergy procedures and help students line up and return to class. It is usually a part-time midday job.
Does a lunch aide need to meet paraprofessional requirements?
Generally not the federal ones. Under 34 CFR 200.58, the term paraprofessional does not include individuals who have only non-instructional duties, such as providing personal care services or performing clerical duties. Lunchroom supervision is non-instructional. State and district rules on background checks and fingerprinting for school employees still apply.
How much does a teacher aide make?
Teacher assistants had a median wage of $36,780 a year in May 2025, according to BLS. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,150 and the highest 10 percent more than $50,040. Private elementary and secondary schools had a median of $37,090 and local public schools $36,970. Many aides do not work during the summer.
What is the difference between a teacher aide and a paraprofessional?
The titles overlap, and O*NET lists teacher aide, paraeducator and paraprofessional as reported titles for the same occupation. In federal rules, paraprofessional has a specific meaning: an individual who provides instructional support in a Title I program. An aide with only non-instructional duties is not a paraprofessional under that rule.
What interview questions should I ask a teacher aide?
Ask what they would do if a student refused to work, how they would handle disagreeing with the teacher's approach, how they would break up pushing at recess, what they would do if a student disclosed a safety concern, and about a time they helped a child learn. Confirm that the hours and school calendar fit their life.
Are teacher aides in demand?
BLS projects little or no change in teacher assistant employment from 2025 to 2035, but still about 176,200 openings a year on average over the decade, despite that limited growth. BLS counted 1,463,000 teacher assistant jobs in 2025, and local elementary and secondary schools employed 72 percent of them.
How much does it cost to recruit a teacher aide?
Boostpoint's 2026 benchmark has no aide-specific family. The closest, teacher and instructor roles, ran a median of $30.95 per applicant on Meta, with an 8 percent apply rate, and it includes credentialed teaching roles. The behavioral and education sector ran a $27.50 median. These are cost per applicant, not cost per hire.
Related job descriptions
Hiring teacher aides?
The description is the document. Getting it in front of parents, childcare workers and students with school-day availability near your school is the part we do.
Wage, employment and projection data for teacher assistants (SOC 25-9045): U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified 27 August 2026; wages are May 2025 OEWS, projections 2025–35. Tasks and reported job titles: O*NET OnLine 25-9042.00. Paraprofessional qualifications: 34 CFR 200.58 on eCFR; state example from the Texas Education Agency. General information, not legal advice. Cost-per-applicant and apply-rate figures: Boostpoint 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark, 891 managed campaigns and 1,334 campaign-months. Read at source 24 September 2026.