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What is a teaching assistant and substitute teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Diana Jones
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a teaching assistant and substitute teacher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.02 an hour? That's $33,328 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 55,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a teaching assistant and substitute teacher?

Dr. Diana JonesDr. Diana Jones LinkedIn profile

Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University

General advice: I would encourage graduates to find a mentor who can guide them in their careers, stay on top of the latest technology, not be too hard on themselves, be flexible, be team players, be present, and care about their students.
ScoreTeaching Assistant And Substitute TeacherUS Average
Salary
2.6

Avg. Salary $33,328

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.5

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.04%

Asian 9.13%

Black or African American 10.56%

Hispanic or Latino 18.48%

Unknown 4.24%

White 56.55%

Gender

female 77.78%

male 22.22%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress level
4.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
3.7

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance
10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Teaching assistant and substitute teacher career paths

Key steps to become a teaching assistant and substitute teacher

  1. Explore teaching assistant and substitute teacher education requirements

    Most common teaching assistant and substitute teacher degrees

    Bachelor's

    57.0 %

    Associate

    16.9 %

    Master's

    16.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific teaching assistant and substitute teacher skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Mathematics27.23%
    Classroom Management22.88%
    Pre-K6.73%
    Social Studies5.91%
    Behavioral Issues4.99%
  3. Research teaching assistant and substitute teacher duties and responsibilities

    • Manage the classroom environment and help students to learn in the absence of the regular teacher with grades levels k-5.
    • Instruct the students in their IEP objectives.
    • Create and implement different lessons and activities base around the students' needs and IEP's.
    • Assist classroom teachers in daily reading and mathematics projects, direct student groups on reading comprehension and literacy skills.
  4. Prepare your teaching assistant and substitute teacher resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your teaching assistant and substitute teacher resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a teaching assistant and substitute teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable teaching assistant and substitute teacher resume templates

    Build a professional teaching assistant and substitute teacher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your teaching assistant and substitute teacher resume.
    Teaching Assistant And Substitute Teacher Resume
    Teaching Assistant And Substitute Teacher Resume
    Teaching Assistant And Substitute Teacher Resume
    Teaching Assistant And Substitute Teacher Resume
    Teaching Assistant And Substitute Teacher Resume
    Teaching Assistant And Substitute Teacher Resume
    Teaching Assistant And Substitute Teacher Resume
    Teaching Assistant And Substitute Teacher Resume
    Teaching Assistant And Substitute Teacher Resume
  5. Apply for teaching assistant and substitute teacher jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a teaching assistant and substitute teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first teaching assistant and substitute teacher job

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Average teaching assistant and substitute teacher salary

The average teaching assistant and substitute teacher salary in the United States is $33,328 per year or $16 per hour. Teaching assistant and substitute teacher salaries range between $24,000 and $44,000 per year.

Average teaching assistant and substitute teacher salary
$33,328 Yearly
$16.02 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do teaching assistant and substitute teachers rate their job?

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Teaching assistant and substitute teacher reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days

Cons

Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Cons

Some students' non-challant attitude towards learning.

Pros

Ability to share knowledge and guide students in learning new things.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

The pedagogical autonomy. Teaching is an art and every year is (and should be) different. I recreate goals, programs and targets according to the needs of the students each year. Maine is an incredible place to teach as it doesn't require 3 page (or more lesson plans for each day. The admins are supportive and teachers are encouraged to improve and change their craft as needed.

Cons

The stress and absence of financial support are hard. I spend far too much of my own money buying notebooks because the families think I should. The lack of community support wears you down. The inflexible expectations of upper admin. The endless testing and the unrealistic demands and canned programs that do NOTHING to help students from financial and socio-economically challenged areas succeed.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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