Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education
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.
- O*NET-SOC code
25-9042.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
BLS doesn't publish wages for Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education separately. These are the figures for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary (25-9045), a combined BLS occupation that includes it.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $27,150 | $31,060 | $36,780 | $45,360 | $50,040 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 10,140 | $24,070 | 0.53 |
| Alaska | 3,810 | $37,190 | 1.28 |
| Arizona | 25,280 | $35,900 | 0.85 |
| Arkansas | 11,270 | $28,790 | 0.95 |
| California | 177,140 | $46,490 | 1.06 |
| Colorado | 21,910 | $35,760 | 0.83 |
| Connecticut | 19,740 | $38,110 | 1.27 |
| Delaware | 5,040 | $37,830 | 1.14 |
| District of Columbia | 3,950 | $46,920 | 0.62 |
| Florida | 54,530 | $34,430 | 0.60 |
| Georgia | 33,410 | $28,770 | 0.75 |
| Hawaii | 5,470 | $36,810 | 0.95 |
| Idaho | 8,710 | $35,560 | 1.11 |
| Illinois | 64,210 | $36,990 | 1.15 |
| Indiana | 28,450 | $33,300 | 0.97 |
| Iowa | 24,520 | $30,510 | 1.72 |
| Kansas | 20,000 | $29,490 | 1.52 |
| Kentucky | 16,330 | $30,160 | 0.89 |
| Louisiana | 14,530 | $27,400 | 0.82 |
| Maine | 8,700 | $46,750 | 1.49 |
| Maryland | 23,340 | $37,060 | 0.92 |
| Massachusetts | 39,210 | $39,380 | 1.18 |
| Michigan | 39,030 | $35,110 | 0.97 |
| Minnesota | 38,540 | $40,100 | 1.43 |
| Mississippi | 9,750 | $25,840 | 0.92 |
| Missouri | 20,930 | $36,300 | 0.78 |
| Montana | 3,930 | $34,750 | 0.84 |
| Nebraska | 11,190 | $35,160 | 1.20 |
| Nevada | 7,100 | $31,900 | 0.50 |
| New Hampshire | 7,880 | $38,440 | 1.26 |
| New Jersey | 55,580 | $37,290 | 1.42 |
| New Mexico | 8,970 | $35,900 | 1.13 |
| New York | 137,820 | $38,240 | 1.56 |
| North Carolina | 32,150 | $29,790 | 0.71 |
| North Dakota | 5,600 | $38,240 | 1.43 |
| Ohio | 47,300 | $35,920 | 0.93 |
| Oklahoma | 13,860 | $27,920 | 0.89 |
| Oregon | 23,030 | $39,850 | 1.28 |
| Pennsylvania | 48,310 | $34,740 | 0.87 |
| Rhode Island | 5,200 | $37,220 | 1.14 |
| South Carolina | 14,410 | $27,860 | 0.68 |
| South Dakota | 4,650 | $28,220 | 1.11 |
| Tennessee | 23,280 | $29,210 | 0.78 |
| Texas | 108,960 | $29,850 | 0.85 |
| Utah | 18,170 | $37,050 | 1.15 |
| Vermont | 4,960 | $43,800 | 1.79 |
| Virginia | 31,370 | $38,520 | 0.84 |
| Washington | 43,420 | $49,120 | 1.34 |
| West Virginia | 5,110 | $29,800 | 0.80 |
| Wisconsin | 26,520 | $37,800 | 0.99 |
| Wyoming | 3,680 | $36,100 | 1.44 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutors | Instructing | 0.88 | 0.951 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | Systems Analysis | 0.88 | 0.948 |
| Residential Advisors | Critical Thinking | 1.00 | 0.945 |
| Customs and Border Protection Officers | Critical Thinking | 0.88 | 0.938 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | Critical Thinking | 0.88 | 0.938 |
| Psychiatric Technicians | Social Perceptiveness | 0.87 | 0.937 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education, excluding software Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| EasyCBM | 6 of 20 | 34.6x |
| Nearpod | 6 of 20 | 13.8x |
| Voice activated software | 4 of 20 | 36.9x |
| Common Curriculum | 5 of 20 | 16.5x |
| Edpuzzle | 4 of 20 | 26.4x |
| Edmodo | 4 of 20 | 18.5x |
| American Sign Language Browser | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Drawing software | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| Video editing software | 3 of 20 | 10.7x |
| Screencastify | 3 of 20 | 7.3x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.38 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 1.50 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.38 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.25 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.38 | 0.88 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.11 | 5.02 |
| English Language | 3.80 | 4.40 |
| Psychology | 3.76 | 3.77 |
| Mathematics | 3.52 | 3.36 |
| Education and Training | 3.48 | 3.89 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.30 | 2.92 |
| Administrative | 3.16 | 3.57 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 3.08 | 3.13 |
| Geography | 2.99 | 3.44 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 2.97 | 3.31 |
| Administration and Management | 2.90 | 3.00 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.79 | 2.72 |
| Foreign Language | 2.62 | 2.29 |
| History and Archeology | 2.50 | 2.98 |
| Biology | 2.40 | 2.07 |
| Chemistry | 2.36 | 2.21 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.16 | 2.20 |
| Communications and Media | 2.16 | 1.82 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.14 | not rated |
| Law and Government | 2.14 | 1.89 |
| Food Production | 2.09 | 1.67 |
| Fine Arts | 2.08 | 1.49 |
| Building and Construction | 1.97 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.94 | 1.97 |
| Design | 1.88 | 1.86 |
| Production and Processing | 1.86 | not rated |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.85 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.84 | 1.01 |
| Telecommunications | 1.83 | 1.13 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.79 | not rated |
| Transportation | 1.78 | 1.55 |
| Mechanical | 1.55 | 1.13 |
| Physics | 1.52 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Expression | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Information Ordering | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Written Expression | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Near Vision | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Far Vision | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Originality | 3.25 | 2.88 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Visualization | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Memorization | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Number Facility | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.50 | 1.75 |
| Stamina | 2.38 | 1.50 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.25 | 1.75 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.25 | 1.62 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.25 | 1.62 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.25 | 1.62 |
| Static Strength | 2.12 | 1.62 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Explosive Strength | 2.00 | 1.25 |
| Control Precision | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Depth Perception | 1.75 | 1.25 |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.25 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.12 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.12 | not rated |
| Reaction Time | 1.12 | not rated |
| Response Orientation | 1.12 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.12 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.12 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Appletree
- Automate the Schools ATS
- Blackboard software
- Children's educational software
- ClassDojo
- Email software
- Flipgrid
- Google Classroom
- Google Meet
- Hand held spell checkers
- High School Scheduling and Transcript HSST
- Kahoot!
- Loom
- Padlet
- ParentSquare
- Quizlet
- Schoology
- Screen magnification software
- Screen reader software
- Seesaw
- Student information systems SIS software
- Tadpoles
- Text to speech software
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
BLS doesn't publish wages for Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education separately. These are the figures for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary (25-9045), a combined BLS occupation that includes it.
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 990 | 2.76 | $34,190 |
| Merced, CA | 1,950 | 2.69 | $44,680 |
| Yuba City, CA | 1,220 | 2.62 | $45,880 |
| Minot, ND | 740 | 2.43 | $38,040 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 1,080 | 2.42 | $45,780 |
| Yakima, WA | 2,150 | 2.42 | $47,380 |
| Binghamton, NY | 2,000 | 2.26 | $35,190 |
| Manhattan, KS | 1,100 | 2.24 | $31,020 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | 1,030 | 2.18 | $36,580 |
| Kingston, NY | 1,130 | 2.10 | $37,180 |