Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary
Machines can already do 31% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 51%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 31% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 10% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2035, and 51% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 164,090 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $42,910 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 71% for contact with people.
- Also called: Graduate Assistant, Graduate Fellow, Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Student.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluate and grade examinations, assignments, or papers, and record grades | 23% | 22% to 42% | |
| Lead discussion sections, tutorials, or laboratory sections | 15% | 16% to 33% | |
| Teach undergraduate-level courses | 8% | 22% to 42% | |
| Develop teaching materials, such as syllabi, visual aids, answer keys, supplementary notes, or course Web sites | 8% | 70% to 82% | |
| Schedule and maintain regular office hours to meet with students | 8% | 54% to 76% | |
| Prepare or proctor examinations | 5% | 70% to 74% | |
| Tutor or mentor students who need additional instruction | 5% | 22% to 42% | |
| Attend lectures given by the supervising instructor | 5% | 40% to 68% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills teaching assistants, postsecondary use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education42% of tasks by 2035 · US median $38,140
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $62,680
- Self-Enrichment Teachers43% of tasks by 2035 · US median $46,800
- Family Medicine Physicians50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $244,180
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2035. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of teaching assistants, postsecondary?
Machines can do 31% of the tasks of teaching assistants, postsecondary today and 51% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 25-9044.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/teaching-assistants-postsecondary/