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The differences between teaching assistants and instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an instructor has an average salary of $53,426, which is higher than the $36,519 average annual salary of a teaching assistant.
The top three skills for a teaching assistant include lab experiments, laboratory experiments and TA. The most important skills for an instructor are customer service, CPR, and course curriculum.
| Teaching Assistant | Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $36,519 | $53,426 |
| Hourly rate | $17.56 | $25.69 |
| Growth rate | - | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 59,465 | 39,273 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Teaching assistants are employees who aid teachers in activities needed to deliver lessons. They are usually junior employees or even students who are doing part-time work. Teaching assistants usually set up classrooms, prepare handouts, and give out these handouts in the classroom. They may also be tapped to help prepare presentation materials, source items for classroom demonstration purposes, and assist in the conduct of the lesson. Teaching assistants also help collect schoolwork from students and may also assist teachers in checking schoolwork.
Instructors are responsible for imparting knowledge to students. They are well-versed in different topics related to their area of teaching. They prepare lessons, create presentation materials and other collaterals, and present these to the students. They manage the classroom and ensure that students are attentive. Instructors are also responsible for creating ways to check the students' knowledge retention through schoolwork and examinations. They also evaluate their teaching style as well to further improve their skills for the next batch of students. Instructors should be patient, creative, and well-versed in classroom management.
Teaching assistants and instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Teaching Assistant | Instructor | |
| Average salary | $36,519 | $53,426 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $59,000 | Between $30,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Pace University | Kern Community College District |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between a teaching assistant and an instructor in terms of educational background:
| Teaching Assistant | Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between teaching assistants' and instructors' demographics:
| Teaching Assistant | Instructor | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.4% Female, 57.6% | Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 11.6% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 9.5% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 11% |