JobAfterNext

Teaching Assistants, Special Education

Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher to provide academic, social, or life skills to students who have learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Serve in a position for which a teacher has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.

Wages

BLS doesn't publish wages for Teaching Assistants, Special Education separately. These are the figures for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary (25-9045), a combined BLS occupation that includes it.

Median annual wage, U.S.$36,780
Employment, U.S.1,420,350
Median hourly wageNot available
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$27,150$31,060$36,780$45,360$50,040
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama10,140$24,0700.53
Alaska3,810$37,1901.28
Arizona25,280$35,9000.85
Arkansas11,270$28,7900.95
California177,140$46,4901.06
Colorado21,910$35,7600.83
Connecticut19,740$38,1101.27
Delaware5,040$37,8301.14
District of Columbia3,950$46,9200.62
Florida54,530$34,4300.60
Georgia33,410$28,7700.75
Hawaii5,470$36,8100.95
Idaho8,710$35,5601.11
Illinois64,210$36,9901.15
Indiana28,450$33,3000.97
Iowa24,520$30,5101.72
Kansas20,000$29,4901.52
Kentucky16,330$30,1600.89
Louisiana14,530$27,4000.82
Maine8,700$46,7501.49
Maryland23,340$37,0600.92
Massachusetts39,210$39,3801.18
Michigan39,030$35,1100.97
Minnesota38,540$40,1001.43
Mississippi9,750$25,8400.92
Missouri20,930$36,3000.78
Montana3,930$34,7500.84
Nebraska11,190$35,1601.20
Nevada7,100$31,9000.50
New Hampshire7,880$38,4401.26
New Jersey55,580$37,2901.42
New Mexico8,970$35,9001.13
New York137,820$38,2401.56
North Carolina32,150$29,7900.71
North Dakota5,600$38,2401.43
Ohio47,300$35,9200.93
Oklahoma13,860$27,9200.89
Oregon23,030$39,8501.28
Pennsylvania48,310$34,7400.87
Rhode Island5,200$37,2201.14
South Carolina14,410$27,8600.68
South Dakota4,650$28,2201.11
Tennessee23,280$29,2100.78
Texas108,960$29,8500.85
Utah18,170$37,0501.15
Vermont4,960$43,8001.79
Virginia31,370$38,5200.84
Washington43,420$49,1201.34
West Virginia5,110$29,8000.80
Wisconsin26,520$37,8000.99
Wyoming3,680$36,1001.44

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.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Substitute Teachers, Short-Term40.971
2Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education30.963
3Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education30.960
4Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education40.959
5Special Education Teachers, Elementary School40.958
6Special Education Teachers, Preschool40.957
7Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten40.955
8Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education40.955
9Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists50.954
10Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education40.953

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Teaching Assistants, 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.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Psychiatric TechniciansSocial Perceptiveness0.870.939
Speech-Language Pathology AssistantsComplex Problem Solving0.870.935

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Teaching Assistants, Special Education, excluding software Teaching Assistants, 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.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Common Curriculum7 of 2023.1x
EasyCBM6 of 2034.6x
Nearpod6 of 2013.8x
Edmodo5 of 2023.1x
Voice activated software4 of 2036.9x
American Sign Language Browser3 of 2046.2x
Drawing software3 of 2034.6x
Educational software3 of 2034.6x
Video editing software4 of 2014.2x
Bloomz3 of 2023.1x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Active ListeningEssential skill 3.88 3.38
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.75 3.38
SpeakingEssential skill 3.75 3.25
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.62 3.62
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 3.62 3.50
MonitoringEssential skill 3.62 3.25
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.62 3.12
InstructingTransferable skill 3.50 3.00
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.38 3.50
WritingEssential skill 3.12 3.12
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.12 3.00
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.12 3.00
Active LearningEssential skill 3.00 2.75
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.00 2.25
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.88 2.62
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 2.88 2.50
Time ManagementTransferable skill 2.75 2.38
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.38 1.75
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 2.25 1.88
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 2.25 1.62
MathematicsEssential skill 1.88 1.25
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 1.62 0.88
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.50 0.88
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.38not rated
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 1.38 0.75
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.38 0.62
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.38 0.62
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 1.38 0.62
ScienceEssential skill 1.38 0.50
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.12not rated
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.12not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
English Language 3.51 3.32
Psychology 3.37 3.46
Education and Training 2.87 2.54
Customer and Personal Service 2.84 3.31
Mathematics 2.67 3.01
Public Safety and Security 2.57 2.30
History and Archeology 2.55 2.42
Geography 2.43 3.04
Therapy and Counseling 2.36 2.99
Sociology and Anthropology 2.36 2.51
Communications and Media 2.36 2.40
Philosophy and Theology 2.33 2.71
Computers and Electronics 2.25 2.61
Medicine and Dentistry 2.23 1.47
Administration and Management 2.15 1.67
Administrative 2.14 1.94
Law and Government 2.01 1.69
Fine Arts 1.92 1.31
Personnel and Human Resources 1.87 1.12
Chemistry 1.86 1.82
Biology 1.74not rated
Transportation 1.67 0.83
Telecommunications 1.66 0.73
Economics and Accounting 1.59 1.03
Foreign Language 1.44not rated
Design 1.40 0.72
Physics 1.35not rated
Engineering and Technology 1.35 0.64
Production and Processing 1.30 0.61
Food Production 1.28not rated
Sales and Marketing 1.27not rated
Building and Construction 1.19not rated
Mechanical 1.19not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Comprehension 4.00 3.88
Oral Expression 4.00 3.75
Problem Sensitivity 3.75 3.50
Speech Recognition 3.75 3.38
Speech Clarity 3.75 3.25
Near Vision 3.62 3.50
Written Comprehension 3.62 3.38
Deductive Reasoning 3.38 3.12
Written Expression 3.25 3.38
Fluency of Ideas 3.25 3.12
Information Ordering 3.25 2.88
Inductive Reasoning 3.12 2.88
Selective Attention 3.12 2.62
Auditory Attention 3.12 2.38
Category Flexibility 3.00 2.88
Originality 3.00 2.75
Time Sharing 3.00 2.12
Far Vision 2.88 3.00
Flexibility of Closure 2.75 2.38
Perceptual Speed 2.75 2.12
Memorization 2.62 2.75
Speed of Closure 2.62 2.50
Trunk Strength 2.50 2.25
Hearing Sensitivity 2.38 2.00
Visualization 2.25 2.12
Visual Color Discrimination 2.25 2.00
Number Facility 2.12 1.62
Static Strength 2.12 1.62
Mathematical Reasoning 2.12 1.38
Stamina 2.12 1.38
Gross Body Coordination 2.00 1.75
Wrist-Finger Speed 2.00 1.38
Extent Flexibility 1.88 1.50
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.88 1.12
Multilimb Coordination 1.88 1.12
Dynamic Strength 1.88 1.00
Explosive Strength 1.62 0.88
Sound Localization 1.50not rated
Manual Dexterity 1.50 0.75
Arm-Hand Steadiness 1.38not rated
Finger Dexterity 1.38 0.62
Reaction Time 1.38 0.62
Peripheral Vision 1.25not rated
Response Orientation 1.25not rated
Control Precision 1.12not rated
Depth Perception 1.12not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.12not rated
Spatial Orientation 1.12not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Rate Control 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

Where it concentrates

BLS doesn't publish wages for Teaching Assistants, 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 areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY9902.76$34,190
Merced, CA1,9502.69$44,680
Yuba City, CA1,2202.62$45,880
Minot, ND7402.43$38,040
Hanford-Corcoran, CA1,0802.42$45,780
Yakima, WA2,1502.42$47,380
Binghamton, NY2,0002.26$35,190
Manhattan, KS1,1002.24$31,020
Grand Forks, ND-MN1,0302.18$36,580
Kingston, NY1,1302.10$37,180

More metros, other thresholds