Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education
Machines can already do 31% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 50%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 31% of this job's tasks.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2035, and 50% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Contact with people: it scores 79% for contact with people.
- Also called: Classroom Aide, Educational Assistant, Instructional Assistant, Kindergarten Assistant.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers | 23% | 76% to 74% | |
| Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips | 15% | 3% to 25% | |
| Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud | 9% | 22% to 42% | |
| Enforce administration policies and rules governing students | 5% | 36% to 68% | |
| Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts | 5% | 27% to 46% | |
| Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development | 5% | 3% to 25% | |
| Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations | 5% | 18% to 51% | |
| Teach social skills to students | 3% | 22% to 42% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills teaching assistants, preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school, except special education use most, most used first.
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education?
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, preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school, except special education?
Machines can do 31% of the tasks of teaching assistants, preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school, except special education today and 50% 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 25-9042.00 (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, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/teaching-assistants-preschool-elementary-middle-and-secondary-school-except-special-education/