As a Ph.D. candidate, I study immigrant and refugee communities and issues of poverty and immigration enforcement. My family is Vietnamese, so I'm really interested in examining how welfare programs, policing, and immigration enforcement systems impact our community. As a teaching assistant, I run discussion sections, where I help students understand class material, answer any questions, and prepare for assignments. I also hold office hours and spend a lot of time grading.
CAREER
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary
Overview
Salary Median (2023)
$43,750
Projected Job Growth (2023-2033)
+3.4% (slower than the average)
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary Do
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.
Other Job Titles Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary May Have
Graduate Assistant, Graduate Fellow, Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Student, Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), Research Assistant (RA), Teaching Assistant (TA), Teaching Fellow
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- 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.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Bachelor's degree (57%)
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Doctoral degree
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
College Students
I recommend attending a community college first and then working as a political practitioner either before, during, or after earning a four-year bachelor's degree before attending graduate school.
This page includes information from theO*NET 29.2 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
