Chicago Public Schools / Southside Occupational Academy / Special Education Classroom Assist
Job-title file
Carry out the duties of this position in support of the agency's public mission.
62 employees hold this title in Southside Occupational Academy. Median total compensation for the role is $74,178, below the department median of $80,401.
What the records show
How total compensation varies among the 62 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.
Compared with the local labor market
Across all employers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area, the median wage for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary — about 46,770 people — is $37,840. Southside Occupational Academy pays a median base salary of $52,798 for this role, 40% above that figure — above the 90th percentile of local pay for the occupation.
The bar is the range of annual wages for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary across every employer in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Southside Occupational Academy’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.
And across the country
Nationwide, the median wage for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary — about 1,420,350 people — is $36,780. Southside Occupational Academy’s median base salary is 44% above that national figure, above the 90th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.
Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN range relative to the national one.
Median total compensation for this role at Southside Occupational Academy is $74,178, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.
Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.
Compare departments
Special Education Classroom Assist is held in 514 Chicago Public Schools departments. In Southside Occupational Academy, the median of $74,178 ranks #77 of 514.
Median total compensation for the Special Education Classroom Assist role in other Chicago Public Schoolsdepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.
Record list
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Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Nekia Thomas is a Special Education Classroom Assist at Southside Occupational Academy. 2026 total compensation came to $72,889.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Deontriel Ohara is a Special Education Classroom Assist at Southside Occupational Academy. 2026 total compensation came to $72,889.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Payton Harris is a Special Education Classroom Assist at Southside Occupational Academy. 2026 total compensation came to $72,889.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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At Southside Occupational Academy, Demond James serves as a Special Education Classroom Assist. Their 2026 pay totaled $71,717.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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At Southside Occupational Academy, Brandon Bunkowski serves as a Special Education Classroom Assist. Their 2026 pay totaled $71,717.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Traci Peebles is a Special Education Classroom Assist at Southside Occupational Academy. 2026 total compensation came to $71,717.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Aaron Baxter works as a Special Education Classroom Assist for Southside Occupational Academy. Aaron earned $71,717 in 2026.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Cedric Rhone is a Special Education Classroom Assist at Southside Occupational Academy. 2026 total compensation came to $71,717.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Amanda Hylton holds the role of Special Education Classroom Assist at Southside Occupational Academy. In 2026, their total compensation was $71,130.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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At Southside Occupational Academy, Kyla Jasper serves as a Special Education Classroom Assist. Their 2026 pay totaled $69,902.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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At Southside Occupational Academy, Brea Bradford serves as a Special Education Classroom Assist. Their 2026 pay totaled $69,902.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Chrishawn Johnson works as a Special Education Classroom Assist for Southside Occupational Academy. Chrishawn earned $69,902 in 2026.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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At Southside Occupational Academy, Brenda Navarro Pacheco serves as a Special Education Classroom Assist. Their 2026 pay totaled $68,785.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Rashaad Clark works as a Special Education Classroom Assist for Southside Occupational Academy. Rashaad earned $68,785 in 2026.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Dekari Iverson works as a Special Education Classroom Assist for Southside Occupational Academy. Dekari earned $65,994 in 2026.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Latanya Taylor is a Special Education Classroom Assist at Southside Occupational Academy. 2026 total compensation came to $65,994.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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At Southside Occupational Academy, Crystal Hicks serves as a Special Education Classroom Assist. Their 2026 pay totaled $65,994.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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At Southside Occupational Academy, Jessie Pink serves as a Special Education Classroom Assist. Their 2026 pay totaled $64,347.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Steven Carter is a Special Education Classroom Assist at Southside Occupational Academy. 2026 total compensation came to $63,335.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Ulaina Smith works as a Special Education Classroom Assist for Southside Occupational Academy. Ulaina earned $63,335 in 2026.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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Shania Thomas works as a Special Education Classroom Assist for Southside Occupational Academy. Shania earned $63,335 in 2026.
Special Education Classroom Assist/Southside Occupational Academy
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At Southside Occupational Academy, Dionna Stovall serves as a Special Education Classroom Assist. Their 2026 pay totaled $63,335.