# Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/teaching-assistants-postsecondary
- SOC code: 25-9044.00
- Career family: Education
- Median annual pay: $42,910 (10th percentile $28,600, 90th percentile $76,420)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +2.7%
- Openings a year: 25,700
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SCI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 19 |
| Investigative (I) | 36 |
| Artistic (A) | 17 |
| Social (S) | 92 |
| Enterprising (E) | 30 |
| Conventional (C) | 67 |

## What you'd do

- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 90/100)
- Training and Teaching Others (importance 81/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 81/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 71/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 71/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 70/100)
- Getting Information (importance 69/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 68/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 66/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 65/100)

## Skills

Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Instructing, Speaking, Learning Strategies, Writing, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Monitoring

## Knowledge

English Language, Education and Training, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics, Communications and Media, Psychology, Administrative, Sociology and Anthropology, Customer and Personal Service, Biology

## Also called

Classroom Assistant, College Assistant, College Biology Teaching Assistant (College Biology TA), Exam Proctor, Faculty Research Assistant, Graduate Assistant, Graduate Fellow, Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Student, Graduate Student Instructor (GSI)

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Teaching Assistants/Aides](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1315) (CIP 1315, 233 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [CUNY Medgar Evers College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-medgar-evers-college-744) | Teaching Assistants/Aides | not reported | $64,000 | not reported |
| [CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-borough-of-manhattan-community-college-733) | Teaching Assistants/Aides | $33,963 | $41,043 | not reported |
| [CUNY Kingsborough Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-kingsborough-community-college-741) | Teaching Assistants/Aides | $21,645 | $38,313 | not reported |
| [CUNY Hostos Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-hostos-community-college-738) | Teaching Assistants/Aides | $32,178 | $37,783 | not reported |
| [Jefferson Community and Technical College-Kentucky](https://www.collegesref.com/college/jefferson-community-and-technical-college-kentucky-1330) | Teaching Assistants/Aides | $26,683 | $36,990 | $7,787 |
| [Northland Community and Technical College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/northland-community-and-technical-college-1939) | Teaching Assistants/Aides | $30,709 | $36,865 | not reported |
| [Texas State Technical College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-state-technical-college-2708) | Teaching Assistants/Aides | not reported | $32,170 | not reported |
| [St Cloud Technical and Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/st-cloud-technical-and-community-college-2561) | Teaching Assistants/Aides | not reported | $31,855 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Tutors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/tutors): $43,350 median pay
- [Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/secondary-school-teachers-except-special-and-career-technical-education): $72,040 median pay
- [Education Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/education-teachers-postsecondary): $75,350 median pay
- [Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/career-technical-education-teachers-middle-school): $65,030 median pay
- [Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/elementary-school-teachers-except-special-education): $63,970 median pay
- [Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/middle-school-teachers-except-special-and-career-technical-education): $64,370 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.