Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Education & Library
• O*NET-SOC code: 25-9044
• O*NET job zone: 5 — extensive preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Prepare or proctor examinations.
• Tutor or mentor students who need additional instruction.
• Meet with supervisors to discuss students' grades or to complete required grade-related paperwork.
• Schedule and maintain regular office hours to meet with students.
• Order or obtain materials needed for classes.
• Copy and distribute classroom materials.

Tools and technology

Adobe Photoshop, Google Docs, IBM SPSS Statistics, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, SAS, Structured query language SQL, Blackboard Learn, Calendar and scheduling software

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Tutors
• Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
• Education Teachers, Postsecondary
• Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School
• Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
• Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
• Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
• Instructional Coordinators

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 5 (extensive preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.