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Job outlook for teaching assistants in the United States
Teaching assistant job and salary trends over time
Teaching assistant jobs over time
Teaching assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 121,643 | 0.04% |
| 2020 | 125,861 | 0.04% |
| 2019 | 133,249 | 0.04% |
| 2018 | 70,562 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 73,317 | 0.02% |
Average teaching assistant salary over time
Teaching assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,519 | $17.56 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $35,784 | $17.20 | +8.5% |
| 2023 | $32,981 | $15.86 | +3.8% |
| 2022 | $31,767 | $15.27 | --5.2% |
| 2021 | $33,509 | $16.11 | +11.1% |
Teaching assistant jobs by state
Most common states for teaching assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 623,657 | 145 | 23% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 290 | 22% |
| 3 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 586 | 20% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 182 | 19% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 137 | 19% |
| 6 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 587 | 16% |
| 7 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 172 | 16% |
| 8 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 107 | 15% |
| 9 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,001 | 14% |
| 10 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 278 | 14% |
| 11 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 242 | 14% |
| 12 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 780 | 13% |
| 13 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 737 | 13% |
| 14 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 115 | 13% |
| 15 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 258 | 12% |
| 16 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 156 | 12% |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 131 | 12% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 93 | 12% |
| 19 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 72 | 12% |
| 20 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 952 | 11% |
Most common cities for teaching assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ames | 2 | 3% | $30,445 |
| 2 | Needham | 1 | 3% | $49,448 |
| 3 | Nampa | 2 | 2% | $36,121 |
| 4 | Harlingen | 1 | 2% | $30,780 |
| 5 | Baltimore | 5 | 1% | $47,246 |
| 6 | Amarillo | 1 | 1% | $30,383 |
| 7 | Rockville | 1 | 1% | $46,862 |
| 8 | Thornton | 1 | 1% | $29,900 |
| 9 | Washington | 2 | 0% | $36,298 |
| 10 | Austin | 1 | 0% | $31,457 |
| 11 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $49,349 |
| 12 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $40,062 |
| 13 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $35,623 |
| 14 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $35,244 |
| 15 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $36,268 |
Teaching Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of teaching assistant experts
Towson University
University of New Orleans
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
College of the Marshall Islands
University of South Alabama
Oklahoma State University
University of Puerto Rico - Humacao
New York University
Longwood University
University of Central Arkansas
Howard University
Capital University
Cabrini University
California University of Pennsylvania
Arkansas State University
Howard University, College of Medicine
Springfield College
What Teaching 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 a Teaching Assistant?
Dr. Catherine Nelson: On a typical day, in general, an educator plans lessons for their students, takes attendance when their students come in the room, teaches the planned lessons to their students, and assesses their students. They might do this individually or in a group; for example, a teacher might meet with their grade-level team to map out the next unit they are teaching or go over standardized test results as a group. Individually, a teacher might grade their students' exit tickets and decide to change the next day's lesson plan to review the material. Depending on the grade level, they may have recess duty or monitor a study hall. Beyond all the tasks they do, though, the most important thing educators do is create and maintain relationships with their students. They celebrate with their students when something new is learned, and they are there to listen when a student is sad and distracted because of a rough time at home. These are the things students remember about their teachers.
What will help Teaching Assistants increase their earning potential?
David Wizer: In nonprofit, public education field there’s not a great deal of negotiating opportunities. For students in the instructional design field there are ways to feature projects completed, skills they have, and a strong resume that highlights professional skills and experiences.
What Teaching Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
David Podgorski Ph.D.: This question is tough because the real answer is that it depends. In general, be versatile and learn as much as you can before you enter the workforce. Take opportunities to learn soft skills, like learning how to build a proper resume/CV, working on interpersonal relationships, team leading, and accountability. There are many opportunities for free or low cost web-based training available out there.
What general advice would you give to a Teaching Assistant?
Dr. Vicki Collet: As in all fields, those who know how to use AI will prosper. Find ways to use AI to simplify processes and to support your creativity, always keeping at the forefront the needs of the unique students in your classes. Copy and paste cannot meet the needs of your students, but it can provide a starting place.
What Teaching Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alexander Velasquez: I think that in the next three to five years the most important skills to have—and I mean this—will be critical thinking and imagination. This may sound a bit outlandish, and maybe even a bit naive, but hear me out: Artificial intelligence is making strides to the point where papers are writing themselves with simple instructions, videos are generating themselves with simple instructions, and software is beginning to write itself; and all this has been happening within the last few years. We may begin to see that in the next three to five years, once coveted programming jobs could become automated. Now, what I'm *not* saying is don't go to school for computer programming; but what I *am* saying is that the nature of work and employment *is* changing. For example, if you and and AI are making a video, and both of you have the same script, same voiceover, and so on, the only thing separating your final product from the AI's is the way you *think and imagine*, the perspective that you have as someone who can think critically about the information and lay it out in a visually appealing manner. AI can't do that—at least not yet—because it simply spits out the information it's given. But critical thought, metalevel thinking about information, is what will be one of the most important assets to have in the coming three to five years.
What Teaching Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Amanda Aguilar: I've always told students that you will learn more in your first year of teaching than at any point in your career. Take advantage of all the opportunities your district provides to learn from experienced teachers, gather more experience, and practice your craft. If you want to be great at something, you must accept being bad at the beginning. Have a growth mindset throughout those early years and seek out opportunities to improve. We learn so much from our failures so don't be afraid to continually get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Most districts provide first-year teachers with a mentor teacher. This is a great opportunity to learn some tricks of the trade. Don't just check off boxes throughout that mentorship. Establish a long-term relationship with your mentor that will benefit you throughout your career.
What general advice would you give to a Teaching Assistant?
Nicole Amare Ph.D.: Undergraduates at our institution are encouraged to complete an internship prior to graduation to gain experience and network with others in their chosen subfield of English studies, so waiting until graduation to start thinking about their career options will probably be too late. New graduates are encouraged to use their strong reading, analytical, and writing skills to craft a resume and job application letter or email tailored to individual career positions, but again, most students should have those documents drafted as early as sophomore year and preferably already have applied their skills in one or more internship opportunities.
What general advice would you give to a Teaching Assistant?
Dr. Sarah Donovan: A career in education begins during an accredited teacher preparation program as you cultivate a network of colleagues among peers, professors, and state and national professional organizations. Becoming a teacher is about building content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, so accredited programs offer opportunities to observe and practice teacher in classrooms with the support of qualified, experienced mentors and faculty members.
The first year on the job, it is essential to keep open lines of communication with the colleagues and faculty with whom you've developed professional relationships so that they can offer you support and critical conversations as you navigate the new teaching context. This is also when your connections to professional networks will be vital as you will have many sites, people, and resources to draw on to support your practice.
What general advice would you give to a Teaching Assistant?
Maritere Cardona Matos Ed.D.: Teaching is a rewarding career, but it presents challenges everyday. My advice is to cherish the teachable moments but disconnect during the weekends for family and friends. This will ground you.
What general advice would you give to a Teaching Assistant?
Dr. Diana Turk Ph.D.: This is for any field, but find mentors - plural - who can support and guide you, and find peers who can cheer and cajole you. Remembering your WHY - why are you teaching? what are you hoping to teach your students to do and be? is essential for the days that are particularly hard. And when you have one of those really hard days, remember that there's always tomorrow. Most of all, ignore anyone who tells you not to smile before Thanksgiving. Who wants a teacher who doesn't smile? You can be warm at the same time as you're firm; flexible while being structured; playful while being serious. Show the students how excited you are to be with them, and this will go a long way towards building relationships based on respect and rapport.
Dr. Audrey Church Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Education and Counseling; Professor of School LibrarianshipLongwood University
Education
What will help Teaching Assistants increase their earning potential?
Dr. Audrey Church Ph.D.: For those entering their first teaching position, I would give the following advice:
--Be sure that you are familiar with the policies of your school and school district. You want to be well-informed and knowledgeable so that you know what is expected of you as a teaching professional.
--Start immediately to build relationships with others on your team-your grade level team, your department team, etc.
--Become active in the professional association of your field, starting perhaps at the state level, for example, with the state affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English or the Council for Exceptional Children or the American Association of School Librarians.
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.
Associate Professor & ChairUniversity of Central Arkansas
Department of Nutrition & Family Sciences
What soft skills should all Teaching Assistants possess?
Dr. Nina Roofe Ph.D.: Collegiality is the most important soft skill an educator can possess. This is seen in how educators interact with each other and conduct themselves in their schools. Participating in peer teaching consultations objectively and willingly sharing ideas to support new educators shows your dedication to the teaching profession and commitment to mentoring new professionals. Demonstrating flexibility with scheduling and room assignments, sharing materials and space, assisting colleagues, and team teaching when appropriate are examples of collegiality in action. Attending meetings and participating positively and professionally communicates respect for others and the value you place on your peers and supervisor. Leadership skills are essential for navigating parent-teacher conferences and earning the respect of parents. Demonstrating leadership also demonstrates to administration your FCS skills in conflict resolution and financial management. Good communication skills are critical for effective teaching. This relates to our ability to deliver the lesson's content and provide feedback to our students. Teamwork and collaborative problem solving are essential to a functional campus. With collaboration and respectful dialogue, a school can be innovative in resolving challenges. Social and emotional intelligence ensures safety for students and colleagues, promotes a positive learning environment, and provides the foundation for a growth mindset. Finally, cultural awareness is a critical soft skill all educators must achieve. We are required to understand our students to relate to them and effectively educate them across cultures and demographics.
James Thomas Jackson Ph.D.
Professor of Special EducationHoward University
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
What skills will help Teaching Assistants earn the most?
James Thomas Jackson Ph.D.: The skills that will help you earn the most is an interesting question as most school budgets depend heavily on local property taxes. Because of this, salaries will vary depending on where one seeks employment. However, the skills that generally will lead to the most money are the following:
the possession of a graduate degree and maybe years of experience,
Bradley Conrad Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorCapital University
School of Education
What skills stand out on Teaching Assistant resumes?
Bradley Conrad Ph.D.: First and most obviously, it's important that they have worked with kids in some capacity in the past and particularly helpful if they have previous teaching experience. Illustrating a past history in curriculum writing (e.g., lesson plans), implementing various pedagogies, and building rapport with students help an applicant stand out. Any field experiences in K-12 settings, whether traditional or non-traditional, should be included in the resume. Depending on the content area in which the student will tutor, it should be clear on the resume and/or cover letter that the student has knowledge of or experience teaching in that particular area.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Teaching Assistants?
Bradley Conrad Ph.D.: The four skills most prevalent in great teachers include personalizing the educational experience, teaching the whole person (not just the pupil), teaching with intention, and developing autonomy. Personalizing the educational experience includes providing multiple pathways for students to engage with the content and inviting individual, unique cultural perspectives into the learning experience. Teaching the whole person happens when teachers see students as unique individuals and support their social, emotional, and academic needs. Teaching with intention occurs when teachers make curricular and instructional choices based on their students' needs and interests while having a clear purpose behind what they are doing. Finally, developing autonomy is akin to teaching kids not to need us or, as Vygotsky referred to it, attending to zones of proximal development. In other words, this skill involves helping students think critically, learn to solve problems and become more empowered and autonomous in their own academic and personal lives.
Amber Gentile
Graduate Secondary Education Program Coordinator, Middle Level Program Coordinator, Assistant Professor of Teacher EducationCabrini University
Teacher Education Program
What skills stand out on Teaching Assistant resumes?
Amber Gentile: Applicants that have experience in classrooms and/or with children are the ones that stand out. Being comfortable with and building relationships with children is pivotal to the learning process. Similarly, teaching skills improve by spending time observing other teachers and receiving feedback from them. Applicants must highlight their general communication and computer skills and understand and use technology and programs to enhance the teaching and learning process.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Teaching Assistants?
Jason Kight: There is no doubt that the pandemic will have an enduring impact on folks graduating this year. Their college experience has been like no other. Their lives have been turned upside down losing loved ones and friends to this virus as well as contracting it themselves and becoming very ill. Most went home on spring break in 2020 and just returned to campus this spring to student teach. Some of us have not been on campus since the beginning of March 2020. They went through the adjustment of having online courses to finish out the spring 2020 semester and had all courses through Zoom last fall.
This semester, their student teaching experience has also been like no other before. All started their student teaching experience in front a computer instead of in front of a classroom full of students. As the semester has worn on and the number of cases of COVID 19 have decreased, schools have started to slowly transition back into the classrooms going a few days a week. Now, most are back to five days a week of in person instruction. It is nice to see that they get to finish student teaching in a somewhat normal situation!
I would like to think that as a whole, this experience will prepare them well for a career as a special education teacher. First of all, these students have learned the important character traits of resilience and perseverance. These traits will help them overcome any obstacles that they may encounter in their future classrooms. Moreover, I hope that their experiences have taught them to be flexible and adaptable to the unpredictability that comes along in special education. They witnessed firsthand how their professors had to be flexible and adapt to deliver to instruction them. Likewise, they had to adapt to the instruction themselves and both had to work together to hold things together and keep moving forward in the face of all of the challenges and distractions.
Dr. Vicent Moreno Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Coordinator of World Languages and CulturesArkansas State University
Department of English, Philosophy, and World Languages
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Teaching Assistants?
Dr. Vicent Moreno Ph.D.: I wouldn't say that there is one course or certification that has a bigger impact. In general, bilingualism or the ability to communicate in a language other than English with clients is definitely what most employers will be looking for. In addition to this, skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, intercultural competence, and public speaking are always sought after by employers across all markets and industries. Any degree in Romance Languages should provide you with the skills I just mentioned through the classes offered, regardless of its focus in literature and culture or language.
However, depending on which field you want to work in, you may want to pursue a level of specialization through specific credentials. For example, certificates such as Spanish for the Professions have become increasingly popular for graduates who want to have an edge when applying for jobs in law enforcement, health professions, or business, among others. Those who wish to teach K-12 will usually need a specific state license and a BSE degree in the target language. In some other cases, like for those wanting to teach in Higher Education or become a certified translator or interpreter, a Masters or a PhD in the language will typically be required.
What experience really stands out on Teaching Assistant resumes?
Dr. Janine Ziermann: Good teaching evaluations or teaching experiences as a Teaching Assistant (if possible), published research, experience in a variety of methods (teaching and research) or any combination of these skills are always welcome. Grades alone are not a guarantee for success anymore. Fine-tuning specific skills, both in teaching and research, is important for any future position.
Dr. Linda Davis-Delano
Director, Educator Preparation & Licensure, Professor, Physical EducationSpringfield College
Educator Preparation
What skills stand out on Teaching 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 Teaching Assistants to find work opportunities?
Dr. Linda Davis-Delano: Graduates will be successful securing teaching positions all across the country.