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Job outlook for educational assistants in the United States
Educational assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected educational assistant job growth rate is 4% from 2018-2028.
About 55,400 new jobs for educational assistants are projected over the next decade.
Educational assistant salaries have increased 14% for educational assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 95,265 educational assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 49,979 active educational assistant job openings in the US.
The average educational assistant salary is $31,100.
Are educational assistant jobs in demand?
Educational assistant job and salary trends over time
Educational assistant jobs over time
Educational assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 95,265 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 102,766 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 108,067 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 96,940 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 94,627 | 0.03% |
Average educational assistant salary over time
Educational assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $31,100 | $14.95 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | $30,036 | $14.44 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $29,042 | $13.96 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $28,277 | $13.59 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $27,362 | $13.15 | +2.0% |
Educational assistant jobs by state
Most common states for educational assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 264 | 20% |
| 2 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 500 | 17% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 103 | 17% |
| 4 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 171 | 16% |
| 5 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 108 | 16% |
| 6 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 550 | 15% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 136 | 14% |
| 8 | Alaska | 739,795 | 104 | 14% |
| 9 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 925 | 13% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 721 | 13% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 662 | 12% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 222 | 12% |
| 13 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 72 | 12% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,424 | 11% |
| 15 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 954 | 11% |
| 16 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 695 | 11% |
| 17 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 221 | 11% |
| 18 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 186 | 11% |
| 19 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 686 | 10% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 94 | 9% |
Most common cities for educational assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark | 1 | 3% | $39,489 |
| 2 | Urbana | 1 | 2% | $32,116 |
| 3 | Lawrence | 1 | 1% | $23,149 |
| 4 | Redwood City | 1 | 1% | $31,740 |
| 5 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $24,461 |
| 6 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $32,572 |
| 7 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $30,750 |
| 8 | Sacramento | 1 | 0% | $31,240 |
| 9 | Saint Paul | 1 | 0% | $29,644 |
| 10 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $31,775 |
| 11 | San Jose | 1 | 0% | $31,618 |
Educational Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of educational assistant experts
University of California - San Diego
Georgia College and State University
Auburn University Main Campus
Boise State University
King's College
Aultman College
Bethel University
Bethel University
Centenary University
Cabrini University
Ashland University
Springfield College
Berry College
Missouri State University
Boston College
Nicholls State University
Chatham University
The University of Texas at Dallas
Rocky Mountain College
What general advice would you give to an Educational Assistant?
Sally Shelton: The world of museums, libraries, galleries, and archives is wide-ranging and rapidly evolving. 21st-century skills are very much needed as we find new ways to manage our science, history, and heritage resources, in terms of both object care and information management. In addition, we are more aware than ever before of the complex issues surrounding objects removed from their country or culture of origin, and of the need for museums to be proactive and responsible in dealing with these issues. For example, to mention a few, provenance research and repatriation expertise have never been more important than they are now. Digital heritage issues and born-digital materials need a different and rapidly changing level of care and management, in ways that are different from the care and management of tangible materials. At the same time, tangible objects and records also need care, and there is no substitute for hard-copy records. Museums are also strengthening their roles as keepers of intangible heritage: the documentation of the cultures and contexts that give objects their significance and meaning. So the 21st-century museum professional needs to be attuned to community and cultural concerns just as much as they are to physical and digital management of resources. Finally, funding will most likely always be a concern for the survival of our institutions. Keeping them relevant, valuable, and important to their communities and audiences without compromising their core values will always be the balance that we need to find. Grantwriting, creating marketable programs, and finding other sources of funding should be dynamic parts of managing the institution.
What Educational Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sally Shelton: If you have the opportunity prior to or just after graduation, take some time to become familiar with a museum beyond just visiting, whether that's through volunteering, doing a museum-based project as part of a class, or leading a program. Learning how museums work, and how much goes on behind the scenes, will help you decide what aspects of museum work you'd like to explore. What you see in exhibits and public programs is just the tip of the iceberg. You may discover that you want to work with collections and research, or that you have a talent for teaching and public outreach, or that you have the vision to design meaningful exhibits. Look at museums in your field of interest, but don't limit yourself to that. People working in museums come from many different backgrounds, fields of expertise, skills, and talents. Knowing something about how museums work and what they do can help you decide what further education and training you may want to pursue as part of getting into this field. One of the most important things to do at the beginning is to proactively build networks in the field. Joining professional associations gives you access to meetings, webinars, workshops, and other positive experiences that can help you keep up with evolving standards and best practices in the field. You also meet people at all ages and stages of life and experience, and there is much to share and learn on both sides. The size of the institution you work in does not matter nearly as much as the professionalism of it.
What general advice would you give to an Educational Assistant?
Chris Halter: Like any field, education is changing and adapting to the needs of today. Anyone in education must have strong digital literacy and be able to fluidly integrate the use of technology into their work. Along with that we need data literacy. The ability to understand data and to make decisions based on the data will help guide our decisions. Cultural literacy and competency is also crucial in any social, community-based field. To truly serve others, we must understand the strengths that come from each community.
What Educational Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Chris Halter: My best advice for any new professional is to find yourself a mentor. Even better, have several mentors. Depending on the areas that you want to grow or excel, there may be a different mentor who could guide you towards those goals. We should also acknowledge that education is a social field. We are in service of others and should always strive to recognize the communities that we serve. Learn, be curious, and understand the values, goals, and strengths that can be found in our communities.
What Educational Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Bailey McAlister PhD: I would advise anyone starting a new career in academia to stay humble. Gain comprehensive awareness of the systems and structures around you. Notice opportunities for professional development. Think of things as experiences rather than tasks. Ask questions. Learn people’s stories. Really listen. Practice rhetorical listening.
What will help Educational Assistants increase their earning potential?
Bailey McAlister PhD: I think that any skills rooted in confident experimentation will be increasingly valuable in the near future. For example, you don’t need to be an AI expert, but you should be curious about AI innovations and open to experimenting with AI in your work. Technical knowledge can be learned. But there's real value in being confident to experiment, make mistakes, learn, practice, reflect.
Andrew Pendola Ph.D.
Associate Professor | Program CoordinatorAuburn University Main Campus
Education
What general advice would you give to an Educational Assistant?
Andrew Pendola Ph.D.: Hi Andrew. Just following up. Would you, or can you recommend a professor from Auburn University Main Campus, to provide answers for our expert panel on starting a career with a degree in Education? We need someone who can give insights into what it's like entering the workforce this year.
What Educational Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Andrew Pendola Ph.D.: Hi Alex, I’d be happy to chat with you — my area is in labor markets for educators—so recruitment, hiring, retention, etc.
Ross Perkins Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Educational TechnologyBoise State University
Educational/Instructional Media Design
What will help Educational Assistants increase their earning potential?
Ross Perkins Ph.D.: The job attracts people who are curious and who are problem-solvers. Those who tend not to stay in the profession are those who are relegated to doing routine maintenance or only getting to implement devices in a context where all decisions are made at the top and passed down.
What general advice would you give to an Educational Assistant?
Ross Perkins Ph.D.: What someone who has the title of "educational technologist" does will depend a great deal on the needs of the organization that hired them. The title is not common outside of K-12 schools (private or public) or Institutions of Higher Education. In some cases, the "educational technologist" is focused on solving what are essentially information technology problems, such as troubleshooting hardware, setting up devices in classrooms or getting them ready for student use, or even running the back-end of applications or software used by the organization. In other cases, there is less IT-specific work, and more work focused on working with educators to help them integrate technology tools into the curriculum. This can happen at individual schools or within academic departments, or the educational technologist might work at the district or institutional level. No matter what the job duties are on a day-to-day basis, all such persons must be creative, flexible, excellent at problem-solving, interested in learning about ever-evolving tools and apps, and, of course, have a solid understanding of pedagogy and human learning.
Dara Soljaga Ph.D.
Associate Dean of EducationKing's College
Education Department
What skills stand out on Educational Assistant resumes?
Dara Soljaga Ph.D.: I find compassion, communication, collaboration, and accountability stand out the most for me on educator resumes.
What skills stand out on Educational Assistant resumes?
Jo Ann Donnenwirth: When reviewing resumes, it is always important to view clinical experiences, specialty areas, technical skills (including educational platforms), online teaching, and various course content delivery methods.
Jessica Tangen Daniels Ph.D.
Associate Provost - Innovation and Partnerships, Program Director/Professor, Ed.D. Leadership in Higher EducationBethel University
Education Leadership
What skills will help Educational Assistants earn the most?
Jessica Tangen Daniels Ph.D.: For educational leaders, I'm not convinced discrete skills equate to salary. Working hard and working well with others, with a disposition of humility and curiosity, is really powerful. Perhaps the combination of soft and hard skills gained through diverse experiences, positions, and institutional contexts results in the highest earning potential.
Jessica Tangen Daniels Ph.D.
Associate Provost - Innovation and Partnerships, Program Director/Professor, Ed.D. Leadership in Higher EducationBethel University
Education Leadership
What experience really stands out on Educational Assistant resumes?
Jessica Tangen Daniels Ph.D.: Resume advice can be challenging because a resume review and hiring committee evaluation can be so subjective. Experience in grant writing is always considered valuable, as is (evidenced) ability to analyze data and research and develop data-driven recommendations critically. However, documenting this experience in a compelling and interpretable way is also necessary, which reiterates the importance of researching the hiring organization, role, stakeholders, and perhaps even the search committee members - so that the applicant is best able to translate their experiences into a relevant context.
Further, stand-out experiences will significantly differ, based on their role and context. For example, Dr. Ayrn Baxter, a professor in our program and also an administrator from the University of Idaho and Arizona State University, reminds us about the importance of understanding the shared challenges and contributions/potential synergies between domestic equity and diversity work in higher education and the creation of international educators facilitating internationalization and global engagement.
Dr. Lisa Mastrangel Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English, Director of CompositionCentenary University
Department is Business, Media, and Writing
How do you envision technology impacting Educational Assistants in the next 5 years?
Dr. Lisa Mastrangel Ph.D.: Because many of the jobs will be online, technological skills will be vital.
Amber Gentile
Graduate Secondary Education Program Coordinator, Middle Level Program Coordinator, Assistant Professor of Teacher EducationCabrini University
Teacher Education Program
What experience really stands out on Educational Assistant resumes?
Amber Gentile: Experience working with children stands out due to the experience itself and that it reflects an interest in working with youth. It also helps if teacher candidates have experience working in an urban setting or an underperforming school to appreciate the challenges that may exist in the field. It allows candidates to speak of personal experiences in an interview that highlights the challenges they have witnessed/experienced and how they worked to overcome them. Educators need to be in it for the kids.
The experience that shows leadership capabilities and active involvement in projects is a stand out as well. We need teacher leaders and educators who get involved and make active contributions to the betterment of the community.
What Educational Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Amber Gentile: It is recommended that graduates continuously look to enhance their inter and intrapersonal skill sets. It is when we "push ourselves" beyond our "comfort zones" that growth is maximized. Graduates should get involved in something that matters to them and challenges them. Being passionate about something experienced and of interest helps a teacher candidate to stand out. Volunteering in schools and organizations that are mission-oriented in improving children's lives is very beneficial for both personal and professional growth.
Being involved in experiences interacting with and supporting children's holistic development can help build a skill set to guide future work. Social, emotional, and relationship-building skills are critical in the classroom. The key is knowing how to help students develop these skills. It is also an excellent idea to enhance one's comfort with, and knowledge of, technology and how it can increase engagement and student learning. This enhanced skillset can be accomplished through formal courses, webinars, and personal exploration.
Essential skills include data-driven decision-making, lessons to support kids' social and emotional needs, community building, culturally relevant and sustaining education practices, understanding of trauma-informed practices and instruction, and current best practices in literacy and math instruction are essential.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Educational Assistants in the next 3-5 years?
Amber Gentile: Due to the current need to pivot instructional modalities and the subsequent awareness of inequities, teaching may be changing considerably. There is research being done on lessons learned from these recent experiences that can guide our next steps. There will need to be more of a balance between targeted academic instruction and explicit support for kids' social and emotional needs.
It will and should continue to be data-driven. However, schools will most likely be redeveloping instructional practices to maximize learning in various data-driven modalities in person, or through a virtual, online platform. For example, teachers may be frontloading lessons into pre-recorded videos, using online tools to further their students' learning, differentiating more effectively and continuing to explore ways to meet every child's individual, holistic needs. Increasing one's awareness of, and skill set in, the use of instructional technologies will be a must!
Someone starting a career in elementary education will need to be confident in creating engaging, productive lessons regardless of the modality (face to face, hybrid, online, etc). Given the recent need to pivot to virtual instruction, it has become a necessity that teachers are knowledgeable with online modalities, platforms, instructional techniques, and best practices for virtual learning including pedagogy and classroom management. Ultimately, having a skillset that utilizes technology in making meaningful and engaging lessons while addressing social and emotional needs is a must...regardless of instructional modality.
Dr. Peter G. Ghazarian
Assistant Professor of Leadership StudiesAshland University
Dwight Schar College of Education
What hard/technical skills are most important for Educational Assistants?
Dr. Peter G. Ghazarian: Beyond licensure and content area knowledge, teachers are increasingly required to have strong technical skills. As schools adopt new technologies and software to enhance students' learning, educators must integrate these resources into their instruction and troubleshoot issues that emerge. A technologically adept teacher can ensure that their students effectively engage with this new technology and serve as a mediator and facilitator of their students' learning.
Dr. Linda Davis-Delano
Director, Educator Preparation & Licensure, Professor, Physical EducationSpringfield College
Educator Preparation
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Educational Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Linda Davis-Delano: Many more job openings as teachers retire early.
What skills stand out on Educational Assistant resumes?
Dr. Linda Davis-Delano: Ability to teach remotely and use a variety of pedagogical techniques including the use of a variety of technological platforms (e.g., YouTube, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Nearpod, Kahoot, Brainpop, TedEd).
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Educational Assistants to find work opportunities?
Dr. Linda Davis-Delano: Graduates will be successful securing teaching positions all across the country.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Educational Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Frances Roe: One of the biggest current trends in education is that the pandemic has prompted many teachers to retire or to leave the teaching profession. This exodus from the profession means that there will be more jobs available for our graduates. Locally, administrators from different districts have asked me if the Teacher Education Department knows of any recent graduates who do not have teaching jobs. They are ready to hire our recent graduates right now! The certification area did not matter. They need certified teachers now!
A trend is one that continues from pre-pandemic days. That trend is the need for math and science teachers for middle and high schools. Foreign language and special education teachers are also remain in demand.
What skills stand out on Educational Assistant resumes?
Dr. Frances Roe: In my opinion, student teachers must include language at the top of their resume that aligns with the language listed in the advertisement for the teaching position. The HR Department of most school districts receive the resumes first. The personnel in HR sorts the resumes according to their needs, so graduates should state near the top of their resumes skills that align with the school district's needs. Also, they should highlight that they have had experience teaching virtually. All of our graduates have had some experience in this area. Virtual teaching is likely a trend that will be with us for a while.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Educational Assistants to find work opportunities?
Dr. Frances Roe: Urban and large suburban areas are typically excellent places to our graduates to find teaching jobs. Large districts such as Hamilton County in Chattanooga, Cobb, and Gwinnet Counties in Georgia, as well as our local school districts are regulars at our Teacher Recruitment Fairs. The districts are holding their own district teacher recruitment fairs earlier and earlier in hopes of hiring our graduates. It is not usual for districts of various sizes to either email or call me asking for help finding certified teachers in the areas I identified earlier.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Educational Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Ximena Uribe-Zarain: Even though the pandemic has had an enormous impact on the social, economic, and emotional fabric of our society, jobs in our field have not been greatly affected by it. Graduates from the field of educational assessment, program evaluation, and research in education will find plenty of opportunities even in harsh times like these. The trends in the job market continue to be in industry in the area of psychometrics, program evaluation firms, and higher education.
What the pandemic has changed is the way we conduct business. The pandemic has made more evident and even widened systemic inequalities. As researchers, we need to pay close attention to our own cultural responsiveness and be mindful of the disparities in terms of health, racial justice, and technological access. We need to be intentional in our designs, analyses, and the dissemination of results; ultimately thinking on the way our work contributes to a more inclusive and equitable society.
What skills stand out on Educational Assistant resumes?
Dr. Ximena Uribe-Zarain: Graduates of programs in the realm of educational assessment, program evaluation, and research in education tend to excel at critically evaluating social issues, and at using sophisticated methodologies to solve such issues. They are prepared to understand psychometric theory and to implement program evaluation. All of these are good skills to highlight. However, we cannot forget that graduates are more often than not avid users of technologies capable of navigating complex research and statistical software. I believe that highlighting technological skills (quantitative and qualitative analysis software, programming, use of VPN, etc.) is a good bet, especially now that working from home is so prevalent. Also, it is important to mention that being a good communicator could be the deciding factor, especially as we are communicating clearly and professionally more and more often using different media.
Tim Klein
MSW, True North LeadBoston College
Lynch School Of Education and Human Development
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Educational Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Tim Klein: In response to economic disruption brought on by the economy, many companies will shift their priorities from growth to efficiency. This will accelerate investment and innovation in machine learning, automation and artificial intelligence.
What skills stand out on Educational Assistant resumes?
Tim Klein: This market shift will influence the skills that employers are looking for. Specifically, this will put a premium on universal human skills-skills that cannot be replaced by technology. Companies will be looking for three types of workers who possess different universal human skills-they will want innovators who are creative, critical thinkers adept at navigating uncertainty. They will want facilitators, who are skilled communicators and expert relationship builders. They will want executors-people who are incredibly responsible, accountable and trustworthy. The good news is that interdisciplinary studies provides ample opportunity for students to become innovators, facilitators and executors. Because these skills are not domain specific, students with an interdisciplinary background could really excel in a variety of fields, from healthcare, to tech, to education. Recent college graduate ability to successfully enter the workforce will depend on their ability to "self-credential"-that is, effectively tell the story of how they developed universal human skills through their college education, and show how those skills will transfer to success in the workforce.
Karen Cheramie
Interdisciplinary Studies Program CoordinatorNicholls State University
English, Modern Languages & Cultural Studies Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Educational Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Karen Cheramie: Remote work is changing the workplace we once knew. People seeking jobs are at a disadvantage with employers cutting back hiring. Short-term job market looks bleak.
What skills stand out on Educational Assistant resumes?
Karen Cheramie: Make sure your future employers know the impact you can make in the job. Check on your transferable skills. Be flexible and adaptable.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Educational Assistants to find work opportunities?
Karen Cheramie: Nicholls' IDST alumni have always had an endless number of careers to choose from. Positions in Business, Education, Political Science, Law Enforcement, Banking, Human Resources, Social Service, and so much more are within their reach.
Christie Lewis
Assistant Professor of Education, Field CoordinatorChatham University
Education Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Educational Assistants?
Christie Lewis: I believe that there will be an impact on pre-service teachers that graduate during the coronavirus pandemic. Graduates are going to need a stronger network of support than they typically receive. School districts may want to consider providing monthly seminars to help new teachers adapt during their first few years of service. Going along with this, new teachers and current graduates need increased amounts of mentoring so that they can connect with well-experienced and successful teachers. Graduates of teacher preparation programs will need intensive support from someone that they can look up to and trust.
Finally, I believe it would help if schools provide outlets for nonevaluative feedback sessions based on classroom observations, and also time to co-plan with experienced colleagues in the grade level and/or content level. We also should remember that pre-service teachers graduated during unprecedented times and many learned to teach in a virtual environment as the pandemic progressed, just like many experienced teachers had to learn. This being said, many graduates lost the opportunity for traditional on-ground teaching, but graduates were resilient, preserved, and adapted. Teachers and students did the same. This is something that all graduates and everyone else should be proud of.
What type of skills will young Educational Assistants need?
Christie Lewis: Young graduates entering the teaching force need to have many skills. Graduates should be culturally competent educators, know how to build a community of learners, know how to build relationships with families and students, know how to manage a classroom, be able to adapt, problem-solve, and think creatively. In addition, graduates need to be able to plan well to meet the needs of all learners, know how to use and analyze various student data and have the skillset to challenge students to learn so that all students can be successful in the classroom. Graduates also need to know how to use technology tools, and many graduates should have had the opportunity to learn this during student teaching. Finally, new teachers need to understand social and emotional development and how the pandemic, protests, and other current events in our world and how things happening in the student's own lives can impact learning and behavior.
What experience really stands out on Educational Assistant resumes?
Christie Lewis: I believe that graduates that go above and beyond the "check the box" really stand out. What I mean by this is that graduates who have been involved in the school and that became part of the school community really stand out. Perhaps a graduate volunteered to help with events at the school, started a tutoring club, and/or participated and did other things than teach in the classroom stands out. In addition, I think that volunteering in the community and also participating in teacher professional development really stands out. These things show that a graduate is excited and passionate.
Dr. Kimberly Hill Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorThe University of Texas at Dallas
School of Arts and Humanities
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Educational Assistants in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Kimberly Hill Ph.D.: We can expect that virtual meetings and work-from-home options will remain in demand in the next 3 to 5 years. Familiarity with the different platforms facilitating online work and e-shopping will be valuable for graduates in various fields. There is growing recognition of the need for strategies that support students and teachers without reliable high-speed internet access within education. The demand for expanded internet options will increase, but we can also expect a continuing market for remote educational technology that does not require high-speed internet.
Elizabeth McNamer
Assistant ProfessorRocky Mountain College
Philosophy and Religious Studies
How do you envision technology impacting Educational Assistants in the next 5 years?
Elizabeth McNamer: Very much impact on technology.