Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary
Also called: Graduate Assistant, Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), Research Assistant (RA), Teaching Assistant (TA)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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 11 of its 20 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 2.7% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Teaching assistants”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 99% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $22,600 | $19,550 to $29,070 | not published |
| Alaska | $35,790 | $31,940 to $39,870 | 70 |
| Arizona | $49,810 | $35,330 to $61,730 | 7,200 |
| Arkansas | $23,140 | $23,140 to $28,520 | 2,600 |
| California | $49,140 | $37,440 to $64,280 | 19,120 |
| Colorado | $37,450 | $37,450 to $49,430 | 530 |
| Connecticut | not published | not published | 4,700 |
| District of Columbia | $43,160 | $37,180 to $62,890 | 130 |
| Florida | $37,770 | $36,080 to $38,260 | 9,130 |
| Georgia | $48,800 | $29,260 to $51,340 | 2,470 |
| Idaho | $37,310 | $29,270 to $50,900 | 220 |
| Illinois | $36,040 | $35,280 to $59,580 | 12,340 |
| Indiana | $34,910 | $27,900 to $47,470 | 1,940 |
| Iowa | $38,960 | $26,970 to $56,410 | 560 |
| Kansas | $41,580 | $30,260 to $49,310 | 640 |
| Kentucky | $49,680 | $38,810 to $50,640 | 990 |
| Louisiana | $37,950 | $27,150 to $49,340 | 440 |
| Maine | $47,210 | $41,640 to $63,680 | 90 |
| Maryland | $58,330 | $52,930 to $64,720 | 5,030 |
| Massachusetts | $56,370 | $39,260 to $62,690 | 3,040 |
| Michigan | $39,830 | $33,790 to $65,300 | 18,440 |
| Minnesota | $53,380 | $42,970 to $59,670 | 600 |
| Mississippi | not published | not published | 390 |
| Montana | $30,070 | $23,460 to $47,410 | 380 |
| Nebraska | $39,650 | $28,870 to $50,490 | 730 |
| Nevada | $24,960 | $24,960 to $24,960 | 540 |
| New Hampshire | $26,810 | $23,080 to $27,640 | 480 |
| New Jersey | $54,260 | $37,600 to $66,830 | 3,390 |
| New Mexico | $48,270 | $38,520 to $61,700 | 370 |
| New York | $43,610 | $37,130 to $62,510 | 17,390 |
| North Carolina | $50,050 | $39,510 to $59,650 | 2,900 |
| North Dakota | $49,960 | $47,820 to $59,080 | 90 |
| Ohio | $48,710 | $39,500 to $77,890 | 2,210 |
| Oklahoma | $49,920 | $32,550 to $49,920 | 1,680 |
| Oregon | $49,550 | $40,840 to $65,230 | 880 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,020 | $31,500 to $47,900 | 2,480 |
| Puerto Rico | $47,440 | $38,240 to $56,670 | 1,640 |
| Rhode Island | $49,420 | $31,200 to $63,510 | 50 |
| South Carolina | $46,760 | $29,260 to $58,120 | 2,730 |
| South Dakota | $39,840 | $29,130 to $50,620 | 460 |
| Tennessee | $36,950 | $27,230 to $38,120 | 300 |
| Texas | $55,670 | $36,270 to $62,390 | 13,540 |
| Utah | $52,300 | $28,810 to $57,930 | 2,020 |
| Vermont | $48,620 | $44,060 to $59,510 | 60 |
| Virginia | $49,890 | $36,140 to $64,760 | 1,660 |
| Washington | $50,460 | $40,570 to $61,010 | 1,480 |
| West Virginia | $35,960 | $33,730 to $35,960 | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $47,990 | $45,030 to $47,990 | 4,210 |
Nationally: $42,910. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 11 of its 20 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Evaluate and grade examinations, assignments, or papers, and record grades. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Teach undergraduate-level courses. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Develop teaching materials, such as syllabi, visual aids, answer keys, supplementary notes, or course Web sites. | 0.21% |
| Not much | Tutor or mentor students who need additional instruction. | 0.17% |
| Not much | Return assignments to students in accordance with established deadlines. | Not published |
| AI alone | Inform students of the procedures for completing and submitting class work, such as lab reports. | 0.06% |
See all 20 tasks
| Not much | Meet with supervisors to discuss students' grades or to complete required grade-related paperwork. | Not published |
| Not much | Copy and distribute classroom materials. | Not published |
| AI + software | Schedule and maintain regular office hours to meet with students. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare or proctor examinations. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Lead discussion sections, tutorials, or laboratory sections. | 0.12% |
| AI + software | Order or obtain materials needed for classes. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend lectures given by the supervising instructor. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide assistance to faculty members or staff with laboratory or field research. | Not published |
| Not much | Notify instructors of errors or problems with assignments. | Not published |
| Not much | Demonstrate use of laboratory equipment and enforce laboratory rules. | Not published |
| Not much | Arrange for supervisors to conduct teaching observations and provide feedback about teaching performance. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide instructors with assistance in the use of audiovisual equipment. | Not published |
| AI alone | Complete laboratory projects prior to assigning them to students so that any needed modifications can be made. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Assist faculty members or staff with student conferences. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 8 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #23 Prepare informational or instructional materials
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Assist scientists, scholars, or technical specialists with projects or research | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Purchase goods or services |
Show all 15 activities
| Evaluate programs, practices, or processes | |||
| Advise others on educational or vocational matters | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Schedule operational activities | |||
| Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Supervise personnel activities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Teaching material31%
- An explanation or answer26%
- A document or report13%
- A presentation or slides7%
- Math or a calculation5%
How they worked with Claude
17% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for teaching assistants, postsecondary specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 39,195 moves out
- 1 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 22%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 8%
- 3 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 31,595 moves in
- 1 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 26%
- 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 3 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 4%
- 4 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
- 5 Teacher Assistants (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 1% some college
- 57% bachelor's
- 37% master's
- 4% research doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 33 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 6% less than high school
- 27% high school
- 24% some college
- 12% associate's
- 22% bachelor's
- 8% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Teaching assistants” · 17,826 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Teaching assistants”
1 program: Teaching Assistants/Aides, Other.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
28.4% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 13.6% | 19.1% |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/25-9044.00