Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-9042.00United States

Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher with instructional duties. Serve in a position for which a teacher has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $36,696
Projected change: +2.8%
Typical education: High school diploma or less
Employment: 1.43M jobs

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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, preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school, except special education do

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

Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
Teach social skills to students.
Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud.
Clean classrooms.
Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.
Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills.
Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
Conduct demonstrations to teach skills, such as sports, dancing, and handicrafts.
Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations.
Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students.
Type, file, and duplicate materials.
Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use.
Requisition and stock teaching materials and supplies.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $26,979
25th percentile: $30,920
50th percentile: $36,696
75th percentile: $45,383
90th percentile: $50,678

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $36,696 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+2.8%average or slower

20251,433,700 jobs

2035 projected1,473,292 jobs

39,592 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

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

High school diploma or less: 28.3%
Certificate: 19.9%
Some college: 17.1%
Bachelor's degree: 16.3%
Master's or Professional degree: 15.1%
Associate degree: 3.2%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

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

Preschool Education
Special Education
Child Development
Working With Children
Lesson Planning
Individualized Education Programs (IEP)
Toileting
Early Childhood Education
Lifting Ability
Classroom Management
Behavior Management
Disabilities
Office Equipment
Personal Care
Positive Behavior Support
First Aid
Curriculum Development
Parent Communication
Student Services
Small Group Instruction

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

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.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Management of Material Resources: Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Preschool Teacher Assistants3,505 postings
02Elementary Paraprofessionals1,163 postings
03School Paraprofessionals862 postings
04Pre-K Teacher Assistants821 postings
05Paraeducators471 postings
06Preschool Instructional Assistants443 postings
07Preschool Paraprofessionals430 postings
08Elementary Teacher Assistants365 postings
09Elementary School Nurses341 postings
10Preschool Teacher Aides340 postings
11Instructional Assistants313 postings
12Elementary Instructors293 postings
13Elementary School Teachers235 postings
14Educational Assistants230 postings
15Middle School Teachers225 postings
16Middle School Instructors202 postings
17Paraprofessionals182 postings
18High School Catering Assistants172 postings
19Preschool Aides163 postings
20Pre-K Paraprofessionals162 postings

Top employers

01Edjoin.Org873 postings
02Hawaii State Department Of Education242 postings
03Jefferson County Public Schools237 postings
04Cadence Academy Preschool228 postings
05YMCA176 postings
06Cadence Education107 postings
07South Washington County Schools105 postings
08KinderCare Education91 postings
09North East Independent School District82 postings
10Anne Arundel County Public Schools81 postings
11Amergis79 postings
12Lake Washington School District69 postings
13Apple Montessori Schools68 postings
14Washington County Public Schools62 postings
15Boston Public Schools57 postings
16Spokane Public Schools57 postings
17Springfield Public Schools, MA54 postings
18Dallas Independent School District52 postings
19Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District51 postings
20Endeavor Schools49 postings

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