Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-9044.00United States

Assist faculty or other instructional staff in postsecondary institutions by performing instructional support activities, such as developing teaching materials, leading discussion groups, preparing and giving examinations, and grading examinations or papers.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $42,863
Projected change: +7.1%
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
Employment: 216.79K jobs

Explore this career by location

Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

Showing United States

State

County

Loading available locations…

Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What teaching assistants, postsecondary do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Teach undergraduate-level courses.
Evaluate and grade examinations, assignments, or papers, and record grades.
Lead discussion sections, tutorials, or laboratory sections.
Develop teaching materials, such as syllabi, visual aids, answer keys, supplementary notes, or course Web sites.
Inform students of the procedures for completing and submitting class work, such as lab reports.
Return assignments to students in accordance with established deadlines.
Tutor or mentor students who need additional instruction.
Prepare or proctor examinations.
Meet with supervisors to discuss students' grades or to complete required grade-related paperwork.
Schedule and maintain regular office hours to meet with students.
Order or obtain materials needed for classes.
Copy and distribute classroom materials.
Notify instructors of errors or problems with assignments.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $28,480
25th percentile: $35,171
50th percentile: $42,863
75th percentile: $60,529
90th percentile: $76,964

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $42,863 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+7.1%faster than average

2025216,793 jobs

2035 projected232,199 jobs

15,406 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Bachelor's degree: 57.3%
Master's or Professional degree: 37.5%
Doctoral degree or more: 3.7%
Some college: 1.5%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Classroom Management
Student Services
Student Engagement
Lesson Planning
Working With Children
Computer Science
Marketing
Learning Management Systems
Lifting Ability
Child Development
Curriculum Development
Pedagogy
Statistics
Academic Affairs
Biology
Psychology
Data Analysis
Accounting
Administrative Support
Behavior Management

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Graduate Assistants194 postings
02Graduate Teaching Assistants158 postings
03Teaching Fellows111 postings
04Classroom Assistants92 postings
05Work Study Students62 postings
06Graduate Student Assistants55 postings
07Summer Camp Assistants53 postings
08Work Study Assistants38 postings
09Teachers36 postings
10College Assistants34 postings
11Student Assistants34 postings
12Laboratory Assistants31 postings
13Adjunct Instructors28 postings
14Undergraduate Teaching Assistants28 postings
15College Teachers25 postings
16Instructional Student Assistants22 postings
17Summer Camp Instructors21 postings
18Instructors20 postings
19Assistant Teaching Professors19 postings
20Child Development Assistants15 postings

Top employers

01Basis Educational Group66 postings
02Oregon State University66 postings
03The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley59 postings
04East Carolina University44 postings
05University of Arkansas38 postings
06California State University-Chancellors Office36 postings
07Carnegie Mellon University36 postings
08Pennsylvania State University36 postings
09Play-Well Teknologies36 postings
10Herc35 postings
11Illinois State University34 postings
12Millersville University31 postings
13Saint Paul Public Schools31 postings
14American University27 postings
15Villanova University27 postings
16Jacksonville State University26 postings
17University of Kansas26 postings
18University of Minnesota25 postings
19Dallas County Community College23 postings
20Bowling Green State University22 postings

Keep looking

Adapted Physical Education Specialists

Median pay: $76,231
Employment outlook: +4.6%

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors

Median pay: $61,283
Employment outlook: −9.8%

Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary

Median pay: $84,440
Employment outlook: +9.1%

Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary

Median pay: $84,440
Employment outlook: +9.1%