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.
What it pays
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary earn a median of $21.60/hr — about $45,000 a year. (Annual figure is approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary earn a median of $21.60/hr — about $45,000 a year. (Annual figure is approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Return assignments to students in accordance with established deadlines.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; you're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.1% of teaching assistants, postsecondary are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are people-focused, organized and detail-focused and analytical.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Teachers and Instructors, All Other
- Special Education Teachers, Middle School
Quick questions
- How much does a teaching assistants, postsecondary make?
- The median pay is $21.60 per hour — roughly $45,000 a year. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a teaching assistants, postsecondary?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
- What does a teaching assistants, postsecondary actually do all day?
- Teach undergraduate-level courses. Evaluate and grade examinations, assignments, or papers, and record grades. Lead discussion sections, tutorials, or laboratory sections.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.