by our College Data Analytics TeamDo you love to help others learn but can't commit the time and money to be a fully licensed teacher? You may want to consider being a teaching assistant or aide. Teaching assistants work with licensed teachers in a variety of tasks related to daily classroom management. This may include helping students when they have questions, grading homework and working in small groups to help reinforce lessons as they are being taught.
While many teaching assistants work with a single teacher, some may be responsible for working directly with disabled students. They may travel from class to class with their assigned student helping them get through the day and to help them cover material they are struggling with.
Other teaching assistants may be responsible for teaching ESL courses or other specialized instruction via community outreach programs.
If you need flexibility in your schedule, being a teaching assistant can be a good fit as there are a wide variety of needs from full to part-time assistants and aides. Many assistants also get the summer off!
Whatever the topic, teaching assistants are an invaluable resource for both students are instructors.
Studying Teaching Assistants explores Teaching Assistants/aides. Read on to learn the essential details every teaching assistants student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering teaching assistants programs.
Nationwide, teaching assistants is a popular field of study, with 3,878 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Teaching Assistants Schools ranking analyzes these 147 schools to determine the best overall colleges for teaching assistants students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of teaching assistants programs later in this article.
Studies in Teaching Assistants emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations teaching assistants graduates commonly enter.
Although you won't be able to get a degree specifically for teaching assistant, most jobs will require you to have at least some level of college or an associate's degree. If you desire to be a fully licensed teacher at some point, you may consider focusing on the education field so any credits earned now can go towards your long-term goal.
Successful teaching assistants must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. You will need to be able to communicate with students and help them understand the material being covered. Since not all students learn at the same pace or in the same manner, you may need to get creative with how you are reinforcing the lessons being taught. For this reason, creative problem solving is also a great skill to have.
The skill set built by a teaching assistants program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a teaching assistants major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several teaching assistants degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 1,050 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 756 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 10 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 1,510 |
People currently working in careers related to teaching assistants tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 38.9% |
| Master’s degree | 18.5% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 16.6% |
| Some college courses | 11.6% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 6.6% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 5.4% |
| Doctoral degree | 1.2% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.7% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.3% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.2% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in teaching assistants careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Teaching assistants are responsible for working with their assigned teachers to assist in creating curriculum, performing teaching duties, grading homework and general class administration such as taking attendance.
Studying teaching assistants can lead to numerous career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to teaching assistants.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to teaching assistants.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary | 1,197,940 | 6.9% |
| Teaching Assistants, Special Education | 656,798 | 9.5% |
| Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other | 638,385 | -0.5% |
| Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education | 520,090 | 9.8% |
| Teaching Assistants, All Other | 257,714 | 11.7% |
| Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors | 217,050 | 0.9% |
The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of teaching assistants graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $19,820 |
| 4 years | $27,870 |
| 5 years | $30,544 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for teaching assistants graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers teaching assistants grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Teaching Assistants, Special Education | $96,801 |
| Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education | $89,337 |
| Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary | $78,698 |
| Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other | $65,582 |
| Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors | $62,634 |
| Teaching Assistants, All Other | $37,615 |
With 147 different teaching assistants programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased teaching assistants school rankings to help you.
Students interested in teaching assistants, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Assistant/Aide | 2,543 |
| Teaching Assistants/Aides, Other | 1,322 |
| Adult Literacy Tutor/Instructor | 13 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
