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Job outlook for student assistants in the United States
Student assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected student assistant job growth rate is 4% from 2018-2028.
About 55,400 new jobs for student assistants are projected over the next decade.
Student assistant salaries have increased 14% for student assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 299,674 student assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 29,093 active student assistant job openings in the US.
The average student assistant salary is $25,439.
Are student assistant jobs in demand?
Student assistant job and salary trends over time
Student assistant jobs over time
Student assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 299,674 | 0.09% |
| 2020 | 310,715 | 0.09% |
| 2019 | 322,139 | 0.10% |
| 2018 | 304,381 | 0.09% |
| 2017 | 296,974 | 0.09% |
Average student assistant salary over time
Student assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $25,439 | $12.23 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $24,569 | $11.81 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | $23,756 | $11.42 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $23,130 | $11.12 | +3.3% |
| 2021 | $22,381 | $10.76 | +2.0% |
Student assistant jobs by state
Most common states for student assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 739,795 | 298 | 40% |
| 2 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,444 | 26% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 151 | 24% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 218 | 23% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 300 | 22% |
| 6 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 208 | 20% |
| 7 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 114 | 20% |
| 8 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 682 | 19% |
| 9 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 134 | 19% |
| 10 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,208 | 17% |
| 11 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 951 | 17% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 317 | 17% |
| 13 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 935 | 15% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 463 | 15% |
| 15 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 111 | 15% |
| 16 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,775 | 14% |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 967 | 14% |
| 18 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 287 | 14% |
| 19 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 244 | 14% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 145 | 14% |
Most common cities for student assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairbanks | 30 | 92% | $22,593 |
| 2 | Lansing | 9 | 8% | $24,440 |
| 3 | Anchorage | 20 | 7% | $22,656 |
| 4 | Juneau | 2 | 6% | $22,689 |
| 5 | Gainesville | 7 | 5% | $21,828 |
| 6 | Redlands | 2 | 3% | $28,655 |
| 7 | Amherst | 1 | 3% | $28,051 |
| 8 | Santa Barbara | 2 | 2% | $28,886 |
| 9 | Bellevue | 1 | 2% | $23,349 |
| 10 | Fort Wayne | 2 | 1% | $20,764 |
| 11 | Orlando | 2 | 1% | $21,883 |
| 12 | Bridgeport | 1 | 1% | $26,104 |
| 13 | Columbia | 1 | 1% | $20,525 |
| 14 | Los Angeles | 14 | 0% | $28,795 |
| 15 | San Diego | 4 | 0% | $28,743 |
| 16 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $28,183 |
Student Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of student assistant experts
University of Wyoming
Chatham University
Dr. Andrea Burrows
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Professor, Science Education, School of Teacher EducationUniversity of Wyoming
College of Education
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Student Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Andrea Burrows: In an education job market, there will always be a need for in-person and virtual teaching of all grades and disciplines as well as counselors, nurses, and other student support providers. The biggest trend could well be the expansion of virtual teaching and support personnel positions, as this past year has opened that virtual space to a wider student and student support audience. Where in the past some areas may not seem conducive to online teaching or support, opportunities now exist and will most likely persist even when the pandemic subsides. Another trend is understanding computer science and how it integrates on an overall or specific disciplinary level (e.g., patterns, problem-solving, steps in a process/algorithm, coding).
What technical skills for a Student Assistant stand out to employers?
Dr. Andrea Burrows: Technical skills in education involve pedagogies, disciplinary content, and team skills such as communication and reflection. For educational team leaders searching for teachers and other school support personnel, all of these technical aspects are important. Teachers and support personnel need to be "all things" to "all students," and this is an enormous task. Do additional technical skills, such as understanding computer science themes matter (like problem-solving and pattern recognition, regardless of the grade or discipline)? Yes! Those types of particular technical skills could make the difference in getting the job or not.
What's a good job out of college for Student Assistants?
Dr. Andrea Burrows: The word "good" is subjective and can vary widely. Is a good job one that provides a feeling of giving back (self-reward), certain monetary provisions, social interactions, and/or opportunities to engage in new experiences? Depending on the answer, a person can locate a job that fits the needs of the individual. Teaching and counseling are incredibly rewarding education professions where a person can experience helping and supporting students. These experiences are almost never the same, and a "good job" provides an educational worker the space to thrive in situations that call for flexibility, reflection, and persistence. Professional education jobs are not easy, but they are good jobs, in many definitions of that term, that offer so much to the individual in a variety of areas.
Christie Lewis
Assistant Professor of Education, Field CoordinatorChatham University
Education Department
What type of skills will young Student 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.