Community Sentiment
Do you agree?
Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?
AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education?
Task-level automation exposure for Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education: 28 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
44%
weighted task index
28 of 28 tasks scored
Median Salary
$37,010 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — 25-9040 group row
Employment Level
Very High
1,584,440 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
0.0%
employment change
201,900 openings a year · BLS roll-up 25-9040
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 44%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 17%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 34%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 20%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 6/100
Low
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
28 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 31%
9 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 25%
7 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 44%
12 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#22478 · Core · 30% automatable
Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
interpersonal — Live supervision of students is inherently human presence
Supervise school or student activities.
#22481 · Core · 55% automatable
Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
interpersonal — AI can tutor content; diagnosing learner needs is human
Tutor students who need extra assistance.
#22463 · Core · 32% automatable
Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
interpersonal — Enforcing behavior requires in-person authority and judgment
Enforce rules or policies governing student behavior.
#22480 · Core · 25% automatable
Teach social skills to students.
interpersonal — Daily living skills taught in person with feedback
Teach daily living skills or behaviors. Teach life skills.
#22465 · Core · 54% automatable
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
data analysis — AI grades and tracks metrics; human interprets holistically
Monitor student performance. Teach others to use technology or equipment.
#22460 · Core · 50% automatable
Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
interpersonal — Curriculum collaboration is professional consensus work
Collaborate with other teaching professionals to develop educational programs.
#22476 · Core · 35% automatable
Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud.
interpersonal — Leading live classes/events requires human presence
Lead classes or community events.
#22457 · Core · 8% automatable
Clean classrooms.
physical manipulation — Physical cleaning of work areas
Clean facilities or work areas. Maintain clean work areas.
#22468 · Core · 70% automatable
Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.
data analysis — Maintain structured student records in databases
Monitor student performance. Maintain student records.
#22470 · Core · 20% automatable
Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills.
physical manipulation — Displaying student work is physical placement
Display student work.
#22471 · Core · 62% automatable
Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
text generation — Drafts activity plans; educator adapts to learners
Plan educational activities.
#22456 · Core · 35% automatable
Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
interpersonal — Committee service requires presence, negotiation, accountability
Serve on institutional or departmental committees.
#22483 · Core · 72% automatable
Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
text generation — Generate learning content; human owns pedagogy
Create technology-based learning materials.
#22474 · Core · 80% automatable
Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations.
text generation — Develop instructional materials; human reviews
Develop instructional materials.
#22459 · Core · 18% automatable
Conduct demonstrations to teach skills, such as sports, dancing, and handicrafts.
physical manipulation — Physical education requires live physical instruction
Teach physical education.
#22461 · Core · 30% automatable
Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students.
physical manipulation — Physically handing out materials to people
Distribute instructional or library materials.
#22482 · Core · 70% automatable
Type, file, and duplicate materials.
data analysis — Materials inventory records and forecasting automatable
Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
#22466 · Core · 15% automatable
Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use.
physical manipulation — Setting up classroom materials is physical arrangement
Set up classroom materials or equipment.
#22477 · Core · 70% automatable
Requisition and stock teaching materials and supplies.
data analysis — Materials inventory records and forecasting automatable
Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
#22479 · Supplemental · 78% automatable
Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
data analysis — Maintain structured student records in databases
Maintain student records.
#22472 · Supplemental · 50% automatable
Participate in teacher-parent conferences regarding students' progress or problems.
interpersonal — Progress discussions need relationship and judgment
Discuss student progress with parents or guardians.
#22454 · Supplemental · 30% automatable
Assist in bus loading and unloading.
interpersonal — Live supervision of students is inherently human presence
Supervise school or student activities.
#22467 · Supplemental · 30% automatable
Maintain computers in classrooms and laboratories, and assist students with hardware and software use.
physical manipulation — Software side AI-assisted; hardware maintenance is hands-on
Maintain computer equipment or software.
#22464 · Supplemental · 74% automatable
Grade homework and tests, and compute and record results, using answer sheets or electronic marking devices.
data analysis — Maintain structured student records in databases
Evaluate student work. Maintain student records.
#22473 · Supplemental · 80% automatable
Plan, prepare, and develop various teaching aids, such as bibliographies, charts, and graphs.
text generation — Develop instructional materials; human reviews
Develop instructional materials.
#22469 · Supplemental · 20% automatable
Operate and maintain audio-visual equipment.
physical manipulation — Audiovisual equipment set up and operated by hand
Operate audiovisual equipment.
#22462 · Supplemental · 30% automatable
Distribute tests and homework assignments and collect them when they are completed.
physical manipulation — Physically handing out materials to people
Distribute instructional or library materials.
#22458 · Supplemental · 35% automatable
Collect money from students for school-related projects.
physical manipulation — Handling cash/payment collection in person
Collect deposits, payments or fees.
Embed this calculator on your site ↓
Bloggers & authors: Embed this interactive calculator directly in your articles or comparison guides. It loads dynamically via a responsive iframe (auto-resizing to prevent double scrollbars) and provides a direct, high-value tool for your audience.
<div class="giniloh-calculator-embed" data-calculator="teaching-assistants-preschool-elementary-middle-and-secondary-school-except-special-education"></div>
<script src="https://giniloh.com/embed.js" async></script> Method
How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
See the full method →Related Article
Best AI Proof Jobs in a Changing Market
Worried robots are coming for your paycheck? You’re not alone—but the real story is far more hopeful. This guide cuts through the scare headlines to reveal exactly where smart, sustainable career opportunities exist right now. We’ve curated a list of true ai proof jobs—roles in healthcare, skilled trades, and cybersecurity that not only survive automation but thrive because of human judgment and empathy. You’ll get specific, money-making data on projected growth (the BLS says wind turbine technicians, for instance, will grow 44% by 2032), real salary ranges from active job listings, and a simple self-assessment quiz to identify your own most resilient path. Plus, we name companies hiring today and the niche job boards they use. Stop worrying and start planning—your secure career is closer than you think.
Read Article ->