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Job outlook for computer science teaching assistants in the United States
Are computer science teaching assistant jobs in demand?
Computer science teaching assistant job and salary trends over time
Computer science teaching assistant jobs over time
Computer science teaching assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,902 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 9,053 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 8,932 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 5,280 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 5,278 | 0.00% |
Average computer science teaching assistant salary over time
Computer science teaching assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $86,335 | $41.51 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | $85,971 | $41.33 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $82,984 | $39.90 | +4.6% |
| 2023 | $79,360 | $38.15 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $78,291 | $37.64 | +3.6% |
Computer science teaching assistant jobs by state
Most common states for computer science teaching assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 104 | 15% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 73 | 10% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 55 | 9% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 108 | 8% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 80 | 8% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 467 | 7% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 430 | 7% |
| 8 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 41 | 7% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 53 | 6% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 50 | 6% |
| 11 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 48 | 6% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 418 | 5% |
| 13 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 260 | 5% |
| 14 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 219 | 5% |
| 15 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 110 | 5% |
| 16 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 82 | 5% |
| 17 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 72 | 5% |
| 18 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 58 | 5% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 150 | 4% |
| 20 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 122 | 4% |
Most common cities for computer science teaching assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 2 | 0% | $96,005 |
Computer Science Teaching Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of computer science teaching assistant experts
Park University
Grambling State University
SUNY Potsdam
University of Idaho
Gannon University
University of Oregon
Mount Saint Mary College
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
High Point University
University at Albany - SUNY
Professor Wen Hsin
Professor of Computer SciencePark University
Biological And Physical Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Computer Science Teaching Assistant?
Professor Wen Hsin: If you want to maximize the salary, move to either the East coast or the West coast. The salary there tends to be higher than that of the Midwest. But don't forget that the living expense will be higher there as well, presenting a tradeoff. Also consider the stock options and benefits that a company offers. Look at the entire compensation package as a whole, rather than rely on salary alone. To maximize the salary potential, I would stay abreast of the current technology and demonstrate additional values that I can bring to the company, whether they are soft skills or hard skills. Be sure to stay connected within the professional networks. So, when an opportunity falls through, you can transition to others quickly.
What Computer Science Teaching Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Wen Hsin: The current trending topics are AI, data analytics, and cybersecurity. Also, I continue to hear from our recent graduates that cloud computing is what they are doing in their companies these days.
What will help Computer Science Teaching Assistants increase their earning potential?
Professor Wen Hsin: I would advise them to be curious and enthusiastic in the field that they are in. When a person is curious and enthusiastic, every day can be a new day, and any minute can be a new minute. Also, don't reject an idea right out of the bat, but be open to whatever comes your way, and open to continuously learning. When one is open, new possibilities or opportunities can happen. In the field of CS, there is always something new or different to learn.
I consistently encourage students to do internships as soon as they are ready in school. Hopefully a graduate has already had some internship experience by the time they graduate so that they have better ideas of what they want to do when they go out to the society, thereby mitigating intimidation from the unknown.
Furthermore, CS is not all about technologies, but also about the soft skills (such as communications, team work, adaptability, ...). In class, we do group lab work and discussions to build their soft skills. They will need to continue to build their soft skills. I know that a lot of companies are willing to hire graduates with strong soft skills because they can train other (hard) skills the way they want. So, even if you are not the best hard-skill person in the group, as long as you have excellent soft skills, you can still excel in the field of CS.
Yenumula Reddy
IEEE Senior Member, ACM Senior Member, IARIA FellowGrambling State University
College of Arts and Sciences
What soft skills should all Computer Science Teaching Assistants possess?
Yenumula Reddy: Mini and large project implementation and work on group projects is very important. Presenting the results in the workshops, annual meetings will help to improve the students' confidence and meet other educators and share their experiences. Certification helps to get the good starting jobs.
What's a day at work look like for a Computer Science Teaching Assistant?
Yenumula Reddy: It is entirely new world and lot of enthusiasm and many new faces. Try to adjust and socialize and try to have new friends. But, for a student had internship first day work may not much difference.
My students share their experience and I saw this difference between the student had internship and the one entered without.
But it is an unforgettable day.
What skills stand out on Computer Science Teaching Assistant resumes?
Brian Ladd: Evidence you can teach the introductory courses. The introductory sequence is difficult for students, so the instructor has to have multiple ways of explaining things and a good handle on a lot of homework problems.
If the school uses a particular programming language, knowing that (and it being more than just a bullet on the resume).
Experience writing computer games will make a resume stand out. Having used them to teach is an even bigger boost.
What soft skills should all Computer Science Teaching Assistants possess?
Brian Ladd: Writing in standard English. This applies to technical writing, memos and proposals, and even student feedback. In getting hired, your cover letter needs to be correct (hiring committees are looking for reasons to not read the rest of your materials).
What hard/technical skills are most important for Computer Science Teaching Assistants?
Brian Ladd: Knowing the right programming language(s).
I am biased in wanting a general CS instructor to have a good grasp of what the operating system is doing (I am a systems guy). This makes explaining files, multiprocessing, and safe concurrency easier, even if students do not tax your knowledge.
What skills will help Computer Science Teaching Assistants earn the most?
Brian Ladd: I think the ability to write clearly and explain your experience in the cover letter and then teach clearly, using technology appropriately while teaching, are things that will help with early salary offers.
I am not an expert on how to maximize earnings. Just ask my bank. That said, over time, the skill that has kept my teaching fresh and relevant is a willingness and desire to keep learning new technology and find ways to work it into my classroom.
Robert Rinker Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Associate ChairUniversity of Idaho
Department of Computer Science
What soft skills should all Computer Science Teaching Assistants possess?
Robert Rinker Ph.D.: I think the traditional view of CS people is they are holed up in padded cells and don't interact with other people. That is a very wrong perception. CS professionals are problem solvers, and they must communicate with non-CS "customers" to understand the problems. Several recruiters have mentioned that a candidate's technical skills are easy to discern from a resume, but their soft skills are much more difficult to determine - they have to be determined from face-to-face interviews. Perhaps the most difficult skill in problem-solving is to listen carefully and not try to impose a solution to the problem right away.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Computer Science Teaching Assistants?
Robert Rinker Ph.D.: As I mentioned already, employers are interested in emerging skills. However, in order to understand the new skills, a good fundamental background is also necessary.
What skills will help Computer Science Teaching Assistants earn the most?
Robert Rinker Ph.D.: The good news in Computer Science is that the job market is so good that anyone who is halfway decent will get a very good job. However, more than in the past, the new topics in CS are most relevant. Part of the reason for this is that these new topics have become "buzzwords" with the general public, so they are very visible. As a result, employers are especially looking for them and are willing to pay top dollar for them.
What skills stand out on Computer Science Teaching Assistant resumes?
Robert Rinker Ph.D.: There have been several new research areas that have emerged in the last few years - data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, software for robotics, cybersecurity. Many of these areas didn't exist in their present form just a few years ago. So new faculty with one or more of these skills are in demand. More experienced faculty that have been in place for a few years (like me!) don't have these newer skills.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Computer Science Teaching Assistants?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: YES. You will see more remote work for computing graduates. Consequently, the need for more remote teamwork experience with tools and projects will become more desirable.
What's a day at work look like for a Computer Science Teaching Assistant?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: This will be largely dependent on the company and industry. Many computing divisions are going to be slow to pulling people back to the office, but the balance of costs and benefits will get looked at more closely. Will the fully remote new employee model stick? I might be on the hopeful side here, but I hope not. The struggle being a new employee is that you need to absorb the culture of the new company; corporate and team culture matters, and is much harder to develop remotely.
Hayden Harker
Senior Instructor, Head Undergraduate AdvisorUniversity of Oregon
Department of Mathematics
What soft skills should all Computer Science Teaching Assistants possess?
Hayden Harker: For math majors, there are many jobs that specifically use mathematical techniques learned in a specific course and you don't prove theorems in jobs. However, these students need to be flexible and willing to solve many different problems even if they don't necessarily feel like a math calculation. Solid problem solving skills and logical thought process are some of the greatest assets for math majors.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Computer Science Teaching Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Robin Rosenberg: Biggest Trends: Tele-health is here to stay. More mental health services have been provided electronically than ever before and that trend is likely to continue even after the return of in-person counseling. Many clients may find it far more convenient to obtain counseling from the comfort of their own home, or to eliminate the travel time. More providers are now comfortable with the technology. While tele-health is not likely to completely replace in person counseling sessions, just as in medical treatment it will create another option.
How have salaries changed over time for Computer Science Teaching Assistants?
Robin Rosenberg: In social sciences, the salaries have gone up marginally. This is not a field for people who want to make a fortune, but it is a great field for people who want to make a living while helping other people with the most challenging aspects of life.
Dr. Patrick Madsen
Executive DirectorUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
University Career Center
What will help Computer Science Teaching Assistants increase their earning potential?
Dr. Patrick Madsen: What tends to help individuals do well in any field and increase their earning potential is to pay close attention to building a strong professional network, staying on top of the competencies/skills that the industry demands in candidates, and remembering to have a mindset of a "lifelong learner" - the future of work demands agile knowledge workers that are flexible to new situations and environments. The current pandemic is a perfect example of the need for an agile and flexible workforce.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Computer Science Teaching Assistants?
Dr. Michael Oudshoorn: I suspect that for Computer Science graduates that this is likely - in a positive sense. During the pandemic many businesses opted to have employees work from home for an extended period of time. Many of these organizations have found that productivity did not fall and they save costs. If no one goes into the office then you save money on cleaning, office supplies, utilities, and maybe even rent. I suspect that some employers will opt to continue having employees work from home after the pandemic is over and hence continue to save money. This creates an opportunity to develop software products to support these businesses either through the development of enhanced video conference and collaboration tools, or through industry specific tools to help increase productivity when one has remote workers. Also if you have staff working from home, then those staff members could literally be anywhere in the world, so this opens the door for graduates to work for an employee irrespective of where they might physically be located.
There was a large, and growing, demand for computing professionals before the pandemic www.bls.gov, and that need has not gone away! In fact, the demand for computing professionals such as Information security analysts is expected to grow by 31% in the next 10 years. There continues to be unfiled demand for computing professionals and the number of vacancies continues to grow paloaltoonline.com .
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Computer Science Teaching Assistants?
Dr. Michael Oudshoorn: Current growth areas are cybersecurity and data science. We live in a world where much of our activity and data resides in an electronic format. This opens us up to cybercriminals who can harvest that information and profit from it. Cybersecurity is the discipline that will help protect us from these cyberattacks and their impacts. Data is collected by companies at an astounding rate. These companies want to be able to mine that data for useful information. Data scientists are that with the skill to manipulate these huge data sets and make sense of it all. In addition to these two hot areas, the demand for computer science graduates continues to increase steadily. Almost every product we buy is computer controlled and increasingly products such as your car are less of a mechanical device and more of a computational device - it won't be long before we see fully autonomous vehicles in the road transporting passengers to wherever they need to be.
The certifications that will help graduates the most is a degree in computer science, cybersecurity, or data science. A bachelor's degree is the ideal start but increasingly graduates need to think about enhancing their qualifications to the Masters level just to deal with the changes in the discipline. Professional development courses are another big impact certification that can shown continuous professional growth and currency in the discipline.
How have salaries changed over time for Computer Science Teaching Assistants?
Charalampos Chelmis: Computer scientists and engineers have seen a steady growth in salaries up to the years before the pandemic. Although I don't anticipate this trend to slow down, entry-level positions and positions whose profiles include a significant portion of remote activities may incur reduced salary as compared to on site positions.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Computer Science Teaching Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Charalampos Chelmis: The pandemic seems to have changed the long-term planning and thinking of technologically advanced companies, so I wouldn't be surprised if many of the "big" employers start offering permanent remote positions. At the same time, other companies may still value regular face to face interactions. I expect such companies to keep hiring for "traditional" jobs, but perhaps they will chose to postpone the start date of new employees or ask them to start out as a contractors in order to balance out pandemic-related uncertainties. Similarly, given that in-person interviews and job fairs are being replaced by remote recruiting, job hunters need to both improve their online presence as well as master their communication skills to make a positive impression to prospective employers in a limited time phone or video interview.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Computer Science Teaching Assistants?
Charalampos Chelmis: The interest in skilled computer scientists and engineers is still high, so well versed job seekers don't have much to worry about. Machine learning and data science related experience, software development skills and the ability to quickly adapt to new environments/technologies are be critical.