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Education

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$42,910

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$29k – $76k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $85,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary

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Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$64,100–$230,700

Time to qualify

6.3 yr

Renewal

$20/yr

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Master's degree

    Degree

    Typically two years; average graduate tuition ≈ $20,000/yr at public universities (NCES).

    $24,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

  3. 3

    State teaching certification

    License

    Approved educator-prep program, pedagogy & subject exams, background check, and a state application.

    $100–$700 · 3 months · varies by state · renews every 5 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary

    Entry / Junior

    $28,600

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary

    Established

    $42,910

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary

    Senior

    $59,665

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Teach undergraduate-level courses.
  • •Evaluate and grade examinations, assignments, or papers, and record grades.
  • •Lead discussion sections, tutorials, or laboratory sections.
  • •Develop teaching materials, such as syllabi, visual aids, answer keys, supplementary notes, or course Web sites.
  • •Inform students of the procedures for completing and submitting class work, such as lab reports.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Education

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.