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Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education

Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education: Career Overview

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.

What Do Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education Perform?

The core tasks performed by teaching assistants, preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school, except special education include:

  • Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
  • Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
  • Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
  • Teach social skills to students.
  • Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
  • Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
  • Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud.
  • Clean classrooms.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Effective teaching assistants, preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school, except special education draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Active Listening  3.8 / 5
0
5
Social Perceptiveness  3.8 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.6 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  3.6 / 5
0
5
Service Orientation  3.5 / 5
0
5
Coordination  3.5 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Customer and Personal Service  4.1 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.8 / 5
0
5
Psychology  3.8 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  3.5 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  3.5 / 5
0
5
Public Safety and Security  3.3 / 5
0
5

Other Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education Job Titles

People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:

  • BSIP Instructional Aide (Basic Skills Improvement Program Instructional Aide)
  • Bilingual Teacher Aide
  • Classroom Aide
  • Classroom Assistant
  • Early Childhood Teacher Assistant (EC Teacher Assistant)
  • Education Paraprofessional
  • Educational Assistant
  • Educational Assistant Teacher

Job Outlook

The U.S. employs around 473,791 teaching assistants, preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school, except special education working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +9.8% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education

Salary for Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education

Statistic Value
Annual median $89,337
Hourly median $42.95
10th percentile $55,966
25th percentile $72,651
75th percentile $106,022
90th percentile $122,707

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education

Tools and Technology

  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

What the Workplace Is Like

The on-the-job environment of teaching assistants, preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school, except special education reflects the following characteristics:

  • Contact With Others
  • Physical Proximity
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results

Education and Training

Typical teaching assistants, preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school, except special education positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

Where to Study

Future teaching assistants, preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school, except special education often complete programs in:

Education

4 programs across 3 majors

Sources

This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 25-9042.00 (Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education).

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