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Job outlook for kindergarten instructional assistants in the United States
Kindergarten instructional assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected kindergarten instructional assistant job growth rate is 4% from 2018-2028.
About 55,400 new jobs for kindergarten instructional assistants are projected over the next decade.
Kindergarten instructional assistant salaries have increased 14% for kindergarten instructional assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 166,488 kindergarten instructional assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 21,874 active kindergarten instructional assistant job openings in the US.
The average kindergarten instructional assistant salary is $30,050.
Are kindergarten instructional assistant jobs in demand?
Kindergarten instructional assistant job and salary trends over time
Kindergarten instructional assistant jobs over time
Kindergarten instructional assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 166,488 | 0.05% |
| 2020 | 169,845 | 0.05% |
| 2019 | 176,701 | 0.05% |
| 2018 | 177,393 | 0.05% |
| 2017 | 185,289 | 0.06% |
Average kindergarten instructional assistant salary over time
Kindergarten instructional assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $30,050 | $14.45 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $29,021 | $13.95 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | $28,061 | $13.49 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $27,322 | $13.14 | +3.3% |
| 2021 | $26,438 | $12.71 | +2.0% |
Kindergarten instructional assistant jobs by state
Most common states for kindergarten instructional assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 67 | 10% |
| 2 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 215 | 7% |
| 3 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 139 | 7% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 93 | 7% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 43 | 6% |
| 6 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 32 | 6% |
| 7 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 364 | 5% |
| 8 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 322 | 5% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 291 | 5% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 271 | 5% |
| 11 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 190 | 5% |
| 12 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 53 | 5% |
| 13 | Delaware | 961,939 | 52 | 5% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 545 | 4% |
| 15 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 373 | 4% |
| 16 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 335 | 4% |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 251 | 4% |
| 18 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 239 | 4% |
| 19 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 168 | 4% |
| 20 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 306 | 3% |
Kindergarten Instructional Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of kindergarten instructional assistant experts
University of Puerto Rico - Humacao
University of Michigan Dearborn
Longwood University
Saint Mary's College of California
University of Wyoming
Springfield College
Berry College
Missouri State University
Chatham University
University of Mary Washington
What Kindergarten Instructional Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Maritere Cardona Matos Ed.D.: Being able to collaborate is essential in the academia as well as in the workplace. Educators need to cultivate students' abilities to work effectively in teams and communicate their ideas clearly both orally and in writing. Educators also need to develop students' awareness of what is happening around the world to help them develop empathy and values. We live in a world that is in constant movement, so students need to be able to adapt and manage time and stress.
Christopher Burke PhD
Professor Science EducationUniversity of Michigan Dearborn
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
What will help Kindergarten Instructional Assistants increase their earning potential?
Christopher Burke PhD: Look for opportunities for leadership in both informal and formal roles.
Understand the contract and know how you move on the salary scale (credits? degrees?).
Know how a district compensates for extra pay/extra duty positions...but don't overwhelm with too many.
Know the condition of the market: Is it a "job seeker's market" or an "employer's hirer's market?" Turnover in positions can be cyclical and is effective by conditions such as economic circumstances. Sometimes one can be "choosier" than at other times based on demand.
Education-teaching and in leadership-is a relatively portable career. But levels of remuneration vary considerably across states and regions-and within states and regions. So...would, you be willing to consider a move? Usually moving to another state requires some work regarding transferability and recognition of credentials held in another state. But as demand increases, barriers to ease of relocation tend to decrease.
Dr. Audrey Church Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Education and Counseling; Professor of School LibrarianshipLongwood University
Education
What Kindergarten Instructional Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Audrey Church Ph.D.: In the field of education, skills that will become even more important and prevalent are really at, what I would consider, opposite ends of a spectrum: at one end, interpersonal skills--strength and knowledge in the areas of social and emotional learning and trauma-informed teaching; at the other end, technology skills-refining and enhancing information literacy and digital literacy skills.
What will help Kindergarten Instructional Assistants increase their earning potential?
Peter Alter Ph.D.: Good classroom and behavior management skills will serve you well. To do that, understanding the big ideas around Applied Behavior Analysis will really help.
Use technology to your best advantage. Depending on your age, you are either a digital native or a digital immigrant but you're going to have to get comfortable with technology because it will only become a bigger part of the education system (e.g. learning management systems, AI, digital communication, etc...).
Dr. Andrea Burrows
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Professor, Science Education, School of Teacher EducationUniversity of Wyoming
College of Education
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Kindergarten Instructional Assistants to find work opportunities?
Dr. Andrea Burrows: If you mean "teaching" by "this field," then yes, all over the U.S., there is a teacher shortage. When using the U.S. Department of Education site (tsa.ed.gov) and searching for shortage areas for all U.S. states in the academic year 2020-2021, every subject area is shown. If someone is interested in a specific state, they can search the site for shortages related to that state. The pandemic has certainly sparked more appreciation for teachers nationwide, which hopefully translates into teachers across our nation having a stronger voice in educational spaces and policies and possibly finding work in unexpected places.
Dr. Linda Davis-Delano
Director, Educator Preparation & Licensure, Professor, Physical EducationSpringfield College
Educator Preparation
What skills stand out on Kindergarten Instructional 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 Kindergarten Instructional 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 Kindergarten Instructional 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.
Christie Lewis
Assistant Professor of Education, Field CoordinatorChatham University
Education Department
What experience really stands out on Kindergarten Instructional 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.
Janine Davis Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Mary Washington
College of Education
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Kindergarten Instructional Assistants?
Janine Davis Ph.D.: For our teacher education graduates, the impact of the pandemic will most likely work in their favor when it comes to finding jobs-the pandemic has led to many retirements, which will mean that we will need even more teachers to fill those empty positions. At the same time, the advent of increased virtual learning means that it will no longer be an option that teachers know and use technology, including teaching online and using learning management and data analysis systems-those skills will almost certainly be a non-negotiable for future teaching positions. Finally, I think that this event has highlighted the importance of working as part of a team of teachers and other school leaders.