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Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary

Occupation · SOC 25-9044.00

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.

Also called: Graduate Assistant · Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) · Research Assistant (RA) · Teaching Assistant (TA) · Graduate Fellow · Graduate Research Assistant · Graduate Student · Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) · Teaching Fellow · Classroom Assistant · College Assistant · College Biology Teaching Assistant (College Biology TA)

Job family: Educational Instruction and Library Occupations

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A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch /roles/role-25-9044-00/context.md directly.

AI work map

A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.

64th-percentile task overlap — yet about 24,600 openings a year (+3.1% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

Measure Rank vs all occupations Percentile Score
LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate 57th 0.7
AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) High 72nd 0.2

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.3), with simple added tooling (β 0.5), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.7). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

How AI is actually used in this job

Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.

Develop teaching materials, such as syllabi, visual aids, answer keys, supplementary notes, or course Web sites. 28.7%
Prepare or proctor examinations. 0.4%
Provide instructors with assistance in the use of audiovisual equipment. 0.4%
Provide assistance to faculty members or staff with laboratory or field research. 0.3%
Return assignments to students in accordance with established deadlines. 0.2%

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

Outlook About average · +3.1% by 2034
Projected annual openings 24,600
Employment 2024 → 2034 193,600 → 199,600

“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.

Tasks

All 20 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

Emerging tasks

Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.

  • Correspond with students through email to address their questions and concerns.

Work activities

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Knowledge

English Language 4.7
Education and Training 4.5
Computers and Electronics 3.5
Mathematics 3.3
Communications and Media 2.9
Psychology 2.6
Administrative 2.6
Sociology and Anthropology 2.5

Abilities

Oral Comprehension 4.1
Oral Expression 4.1
Written Comprehension 4.0
Written Expression 3.5
Speech Clarity 3.5
Near Vision 3.3
Speech Recognition 3.3
Fluency of Ideas 3.1
Originality 3.1
Problem Sensitivity 3.1
Deductive Reasoning 3.1
Inductive Reasoning 3.1
Information Ordering 3.0
Category Flexibility 3.0
Selective Attention 3.0
Flexibility of Closure 2.5

Essential skills

Reading Comprehension 3.9
Active Listening 3.6
Speaking 3.5
Learning Strategies 3.4
Writing 3.3
Critical Thinking 3.1
Monitoring 3.1
Active Learning 3.0

Transferable skills

Instructing 3.5
Social Perceptiveness 3.1
Coordination 3.1
Service Orientation 3.1
Complex Problem Solving 3.1
Judgment and Decision Making 3.0
Time Management 3.0
Persuasion 2.4

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

Tools & technology

Example Category
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet software Hot technology In demand
Microsoft Office software Office suite software Hot technology In demand
Adobe Photoshop Graphics or photo imaging software Hot technology
Google Docs Word processing software Hot technology
IBM SPSS Statistics Analytical or scientific software Hot technology
Microsoft Outlook Electronic mail software Hot technology
Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation software Hot technology
Microsoft Word Word processing software Hot technology
SAS Analytical or scientific software Hot technology
Structured query language SQL Data base user interface and query software Hot technology
Blackboard Learn Computer based training software
Collaborative editing software Word processing software
Course management system software Computer based training software
Desire2Learn LMS software Computer based training software
DOC Cop Information retrieval or search software
Email software Electronic mail software
Image scanning software Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
iParadigms Turnitin Information retrieval or search software
Learning management system LMS Computer based training software
Sakai CLE Computer based training software
Web browser software Internet browser software

Work context

How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.

E-Mail 4.8
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams 4.6
Contact With Others 4.6
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals 4.2
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team 4.2
Freedom to Make Decisions 4.0
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled 4.0
Public Speaking 3.9
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities 3.7
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate 3.7
Level of Competition 3.6
Time Pressure 3.5
Physical Proximity 3.5
Spend Time Sitting 3.4
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results 3.0
Spend Time Standing 2.9
Frequency of Decision Making 2.9
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General 2.7
Written Letters and Memos 2.6
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks 2.5
Telephone Conversations 2.5
Conflict Situations 2.5
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions 2.5
Consequence of Error 2.4
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable 2.3
Health and Safety of Other Workers 2.3
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers 2.3
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People 2.2
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls 2.2
Spend Time Walking or Running 2.0
Exposed to Contaminants 1.9
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets 1.9
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions 1.8
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled 1.7
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions 1.6
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body 1.6
Degree of Automation 1.3
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings 1.3
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures 1.2
Exposed to Disease or Infections 1.2

How to get in

Job zone
Zone 5 — Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
Related experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Preparation level
SVP (8.0 and above) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

What to study: Education . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.

Education of current workers

Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.

Bachelor's Degree 57.3%
Master's Degree 37.3%
Doctoral Degree 3.7%
Some College Courses 1.5%
Post-Master's Certificate 0.2%

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Work styles

Dependability 7.0
Integrity 6.0
Intellectual Curiosity 5.0
Cooperation 4.0
Social Orientation 3.0

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Social 6.5
Conventional 5.0
Investigative 3.1
Enterprising 2.8

Interest areas

Teaching/Education 6.3
Public Speaking 3.7
Professional Advising 3.6
Humanities 3.6
Social Service 3.4
Social Science 3.3
Mathematics/Statistics 2.7

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

$28k10th$33k25th$45kMedian$60k75th$74k90th
Annual wages by percentile — U.S. (BLS OEWS). The light band spans the 10th–90th percentile; the darker band is the middle half (25th–75th); the line is the median.
194k2024200k2034 (proj.)+3.1% · About average
Projected U.S. employment, 2024–2034 (BLS Employment Projections). A labor-market forecast for the occupation, not an AI-impact forecast.
10th percentile $28,020
25th percentile $32,640
Median (50th) $44,930
75th percentile $60,410
90th percentile $73,560
People employed 155,010

Industries that employ this occupation

Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.

Industry Workers National median pay
Educational Services · Sector 153,790 $45,180
Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector 950 $36,870
Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector 190 $46,700

Where this work is most concentrated

Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).

Industry Concentration Workers
Educational Services · Sector 11.21× 153,790
Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector 0.21× 950
Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector 0.01× 190

Part of the Education career cluster.

Exposure quadrant: AI task-overlap percentile vs Median pay Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary sits at the 64th percentile of AI task-overlap and the 19th percentile of median pay, placed here against 10 adjacent occupations on the same two axes. Lower overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · lower pay Lower overlap · lower pay Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary Education Teachers, Postsecondary Tutors AI task-overlap percentile → ↑ Median pay
AI task-overlap percentile (horizontal) vs. median-pay percentile (vertical), across all scored occupations. This occupation is highlighted; related occupations are plotted alongside it. Overlap measures shared tasks with AI, not automation.

Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Skills that travel

Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.

Adjacent roles

Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.

Paths in

How people typically prepare for this work.

Zoom out

See where this work sits in the bigger picture.

Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation

Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary show 64th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 24,600 annual U.S. openings

  • Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary rank in the 64th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
  • The occupation is projected to see about 24,600 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
  • BLS projects employment to be about average (+3.1%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
  • Median annual pay is $44,930, across about 155,010 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary show 64th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 24,600 annual U.S. openings

• Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary rank in the 64th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE)
• The occupation is projected to see about 24,600 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34)
• BLS projects employment to be about average (+3.1%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34)
• Median annual pay is $44,930, across about 155,010 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024))

Source: Singulariki — "Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-25-9044-00
Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom

Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-25-9044-00

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-25-9044-00

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-role-25-9044-00,
  title  = {Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-25-9044-00}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.

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