Qualifications

• Minimal educational requirements include a high school diploma or GED for this occupation. In New Jersey, applicants must pass a criminal background check and drug test and are required to be fingerprinted to work in public schools. Employment opportunities can increase for those who are pursuing higher education related to teaching and who have previous experience working with children.
  
  

Median Salary

• Approximately 42,870 teacher assistants were in New Jersey in May 2009. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated approximately 40 percent of teacher assistants work part-time. Annual median wages were $23,780.
  
  

Variances

• Salary can vary for teacher assistants based on their education level, experience and employer type. The 25th percentile earned a median salary of $19,260 per year; the 75th percentile earned a median salary of $29,750 per year. The lowest 10 percent earned a median salary of $16,650 per year, and the highest 10 percent earned a median salary of $36,380 per year.
  
  

Geography

• Among the Bureau of Labor Statistics' metropolitan areas in New Jersey, the highest wages were in the Trenton/Ewing area, where teacher assistants earned annual mean wages of $27,640. In the Edison/New Brunswick area, annual mean wages were $25,160. In the Ocean City area, annual mean wages were $23,700, and in the Camden area, annual mean wages were $23,230.