What is a substitute teacher's assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Dr. Diana Jones
introduction image

Teacher's assistants may seem superhuman due to their patience and hard work--they spend all day among children, often very young children, and help manage their behavior and keep them safe. However, they are humans just like everyone else and get sick. When a teacher's assistant can't come to work, the substitute teacher's assistant comes to the rescue.

The substitute teacher's assistant does all the duties of a regular teacher's assistant, such as supervising students, helping them with their work, and assisting teachers with setting up a classroom. However, they only come into work when a regular teacher's assistant is out and may work with many classes and schools during the school year.

Substitute teacher's assistants do not need a teaching license like classroom teachers do. They usually only need an associate's degree and sometimes a paraprofessional license. They also need to enjoy working with kids and have plenty of patience for their antics.

What general advice would you give to a Substitute Teacher's Assistant?

Dr. Diana JonesDr. Diana Jones LinkedIn Profile

Chair, Department of Kinesiology, Anderson University

General advice: I would encourage graduates to find a mentor who can guide them in their careers, stay on top of the latest technology, not be too hard on themselves, be flexible, be team players, be present, and care about their students.
ScoreSubstitute Teacher's AssistantUS Average
Salary
2.3

Avg. Salary $29,749

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
4.5

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.41%

Asian 8.52%

Black or African American 10.60%

Hispanic or Latino 18.55%

Unknown 4.69%

White 56.23%

Gender

female 83.11%

male 16.89%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress Level
4.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
5.4

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

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Substitute Teacher's Assistant career paths

Key steps to become a substitute teacher's assistant

  1. Explore substitute teacher's assistant education requirements

    Most common substitute teacher's assistant degrees

    Bachelor's

    53.6 %

    Associate

    22.7 %

    High School Diploma

    9.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific substitute teacher's assistant skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    CPR15.33%
    Classroom Management12.95%
    Mathematics8.27%
    Classroom Environment6.94%
    Teacher Assistants6.74%
  3. Gain additional substitute teacher's assistant certifications

    Substitute teacher's assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific substitute teacher's assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for substitute teacher's assistants include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

    More About Certifications
  4. Research substitute teacher's assistant duties and responsibilities

    • Lead tutoring sessions for undergraduate students in physics and organic chemistry
    • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
    • Assist students with pre-Calculus, pre-A.P.
    • Focuse on reading, writing, and mathematics.
  5. Prepare your substitute teacher's assistant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your substitute teacher's assistant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a substitute teacher's assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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  6. Apply for substitute teacher's assistant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a substitute teacher's assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Substitute Teacher's Assistant Job

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Average substitute teacher's assistant salary

The average Substitute Teacher's Assistant salary in the United States is $29,749 per year or $14 per hour. Substitute teacher's assistant salaries range between $23,000 and $37,000 per year.

Average Substitute Teacher's Assistant Salary
$29,749 Yearly
$14.30 hourly

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How do substitute teacher's assistants rate their job?

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Substitute Teacher's Assistant reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Cons

Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance

Pros

Kids, teaching lessons, co-teachers, hours, weekends off, salary, holidays off, summers off, paid sick and personal days


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022
Cons

nothing I like everything

Pros

I enjoy working as a teacher aide because of the children I love doing it


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Cons

Some students' non-challant attitude towards learning.

Pros

Ability to share knowledge and guide students in learning new things.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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