Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, & Secondary School

Despite limited employment growth, about 151,000 openings for teacher assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Education: None Details

Education Details

27%

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

20%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

17%

Some College Courses

16%

Bachelor's Degree

15%

Master's Degree

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

Less than a High School Diploma

Salary

Average: $30,920.00

Summary of What they do:

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.

Responsibilities

Supervise school or student activities.

Serve on institutional or departmental committees.

Clean facilities or work areas.

Maintain clean work areas.

Collect deposits, payments or fees.

Teach physical education.

Collaborate with other teaching professionals to develop educational programs.

Distribute instructional or library materials.

Enforce rules or policies governing student behavior.

Evaluate student work.

Maintain student records.

Monitor student performance.

Teach others to use technology or equipment.

Set up classroom materials or equipment.

Maintain computer equipment or software.

Operate audiovisual equipment.

Display student work.

Plan educational activities.

Discuss student progress with parents or guardians.

Develop instructional materials.

Lead classes or community events.

Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.

Teach daily living skills or behaviors.

Teach life skills.

Tutor students who need extra assistance.

Create technology-based learning materials.

What Teacher Assistants Do

Teacher assistants work with a licensed teacher to give students additional attention and instruction.

Duties

Some teacher assistants work exclusively with special education students who attend traditional classes.

Teacher assistants typically do the following:

Reinforce lessons by reviewing material with students one-on-one or in small groups
Follow school and class rules to teach students proper behavior
Help teachers with recordkeeping, such as taking attendance and calculating grades
Get equipment or materials ready to help teachers prepare for lessons
Supervise students outside of the classroom, such as between classes, during lunch and recess, and on field trips

Teacher assistants also are called teacher aides, instructional aides, paraprofessionals, education assistants, and paraeducators.

Teacher assistants work with or under the guidance of a licensed teacher. Reviewing with students individually or in small groups, teacher assistants help reinforce the lessons that teachers introduce.

Teacher assistants may provide feedback to teachers for monitoring student progress. Some teacher assistants meet regularly with teachers to discuss lesson plans and students’ development.

Some teacher assistants work only with special education students. When special education students attend regular classes, these teacher assistants help them understand the material and adapt the information to their learning style. Teacher assistants may also work with students who have severe disabilities in separate classrooms. They help these students with basic needs, such as eating or personal hygiene. Teacher assistants may help young adults with disabilities to learn skills necessary for finding a job or living independently after graduation.

Some teacher assistants help in specific areas. For example, they may work in a computer laboratory, helping students use programs or software. Others may work as cafeteria attendants, supervising students during lunchtime.

Teacher assistants in childcare centers work with a lead teacher to provide individualized attention that young children need. They help with educational activities, supervise the children at play, and help with feeding and other basic care.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Teacher assistants need to be clear and concise in discussing student progress with teachers and parents.

Interpersonal skills. Teacher assistants must be able to develop relationships with a variety of people, including teachers, students, parents, and administrators.

Patience. Working with students of different abilities and backgrounds may be difficult. Teacher assistants must be understanding with students.

Resourcefulness. Teacher assistants must find ways to explain information to students who have different learning styles.

Tasks On The Job

Assist in bus loading and unloading.
Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
Clean classrooms.
Collect money from students for school-related projects.
Conduct demonstrations to teach skills, such as sports, dancing, and handicrafts.
Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students.
Distribute tests and homework assignments and collect them when they are completed.
Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
Grade homework and tests, and compute and record results, using answer sheets or electronic marking devices.
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use.
Maintain computers in classrooms and laboratories, and assist students with hardware and software use.
Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.
Operate and maintain audio-visual equipment.
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.
Participate in teacher-parent conferences regarding students' progress or problems.
Plan, prepare, and develop various teaching aids, such as bibliographies, charts, and graphs.
Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations.
Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud.
Requisition and stock teaching materials and supplies.
Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
Teach social skills to students.
Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
Type, file, and duplicate materials.
Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.

PERSONALITY

KEY:

Strength

Caution

Warning

Your Assessment Results		CAREER CHARACTERISTICS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	89%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	88%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	87%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	86%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	85%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	82%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	71%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	64%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	59%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	58%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Your Assessment Results		IMPORTANT STRENGTHS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment		90%	Social - Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment		62%	Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

APTITUDES

KEY:

Strength

Caution

Warning

Your Assessment Results		ABILITIES \| SKILLS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	66%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	63%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	63%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	63%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	63%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	53%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	52%	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	52%	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.

Your Assessment Results		TASKS \| ACTIVITIES Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	88%	Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	87%	Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	86%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	84%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	83%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	76%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	76%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	73%	Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	70%	Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	67%	Performing General Physical Activities - Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	66%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	66%	Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	65%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	61%	Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	53%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	52%	Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	52%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Your Assessment Results		CONTEXT \| ATTRIBUTES Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	98%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	94%	Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	94%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	91%	Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	82%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Frequency of Decision Making - How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities - How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	70%	Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams - How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Health and Safety of Other Workers - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	67%	Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	66%	E-Mail - How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	65%	Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals - How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	65%	Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	62%	Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling - How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	62%	Exposed to Disease or Infections - How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Spend Time Walking or Running - How much does this job require walking or running?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	54%	Deal With External Customers or the Public in General - How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	51%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	51%	Conflict Situations - How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?

Work Environment

Some teacher assistants work in specific locations within schools, such as libraries.

Teacher assistants held about 1.3 million jobs in 2022. The largest employers of teacher assistants were as follows:

Elementary and secondary schools; local	73%
Child day care services	10
Elementary and secondary schools; private	9

Teacher assistants may spend some time outside, when students are at recess or getting on and off the bus. They may need to lift the students at certain times.

Injuries and Illnesses

Teacher assistants sometimes get injured on the job. They actively work with students, including lifting and otherwise assisting special education students, which can place them at risk for injuries such as strains.

Work Schedules

Most teacher assistants work full time, although part-time work is common. Some monitor students on school buses before and after school. Many teacher assistants do not work during the summer; however, some work in year-round schools or assist teachers in summer school.

Getting Started

How to Become a Teacher Assistant

Teacher assistants reinforce lessons presented in class by reviewing material with students one-on-one or in small groups.

To enter the occupation, teacher assistants typically need to have completed at least 2 years of college coursework.

Education

Teacher assistants in public schools need at least 2 years of college coursework or an associate’s degree. Those who work in schools with a Title 1 program (a federal program for schools that have a large proportion of students from low-income households) must have at least a 2-year degree, 2 years of college, or pass a state or local assessment.

Associate’s degree programs for teacher assistants prepare participants to develop educational materials, observe students, and understand the role of teaching assistants in working with classroom teachers.

Some teacher assistants have a bachelor's degree in fields such as education and psychology.

Most states require teacher assistants who work with special-needs students to pass a skills test.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Some jobs may require staff to have certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid.

Advancement

Teacher assistants may become a kindergarten and elementary school teacher, middle school teacher, high school teacher, or special education teacher upon obtaining additional education, training, and a license or certification.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about teacher assistants, visit

National Education Association

American Federation of Teachers

National Resource Center for Paraeducators

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of teacher assistants.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Career and Technical Education Teachers	Career and technical education teachers instruct students in various technical and vocational subjects, such as auto repair, healthcare, and culinary arts.	Bachelor's degree	$61,450
Childcare Workers	Childcare workers attend to children's needs while helping to foster early development.	High school diploma or equivalent	$28,520
High School Teachers	High school teachers teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market.	Bachelor's degree	$62,360
Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers	Kindergarten and elementary school teachers instruct young students in basic subjects in order to prepare them for future schooling.	Bachelor's degree	$61,620
Library Technicians and Assistants	Library technicians and assistants help librarians with all aspects of running a library.	See How to Become One	$35,280
Middle School Teachers	Middle school teachers educate students, typically in sixth through eighth grades.	Bachelor's degree	$61,810
Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides	Occupational therapy assistants and aides help patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working.	See How to Become One	$63,450
Preschool Teachers	Preschool teachers educate and care for children younger than age 5 who have not yet entered kindergarten.	Associate's degree	$35,330
Special Education Teachers	Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.	Bachelor's degree	$62,950