Post-Secondary Teaching and Research Assistants

(NOC 4012)

in All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

Post-secondary teaching and research assistants help university professors, community college teachers, and other faculty members in teaching and research activities at universities and colleges. Post-secondary teaching and research assistants specialize in a subject matter based on their field of study.

Job Outlook

Average

Read more

  • Estimate Moderate growth employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 265 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Low rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

  • Estimate 1830 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 5515 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$14.50

Minimum

$20.00

Median

$40.25

Maximum

Annual Pay

$1,276

Minimum

$7,875

Median

$45,874

Maximum

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

Hourly Pay

$16.30

Minimum

$30.00

Median

$51.30

Maximum

Annual Pay

$5,616

Minimum

$44,335

Median

$92,599

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Post-secondary teaching and research assistants help university professors, community college teachers, and other faculty members in teaching and research activities at universities and colleges. Post-secondary teaching and research assistants specialize in a subject matter based on their field of study.

Job duties

Post-secondary teaching assistants:

  • Organize reference materials, visual aids, and other materials as needed by university professors or college teachers for lectures.
  • Conduct seminars, discussion groups, and laboratory sessions to supplement lectures.
  • Help prepare and administer examinations.
  • Grade examinations, term papers, and laboratory reports.

Research assistants:

  • Conduct literature reviews, surveys, laboratory experiments, and other research for use in scholarly publications.
  • Compile research results and help professors analyse results and prepare journal articles or papers.

Sample job titles

  • college laboratory assistant
  • college teaching assistant
  • graduate assistant - university
  • laboratory demonstrator - post-secondary teaching assistance
  • laboratory supervisor - post-secondary teaching assistant
  • post-secondary research assistant
  • post-secondary teaching assistant
  • university laboratory assistant
  • university research assistant

Skills

  • You should enjoy methodical work to compile, prepare, and organize materials for lectures or to set up and conduct research activities. You should like to explore things in depth and arrive at solutions through experimentation. You should enjoy instructing and teaching and collaborating with others on research.

Job requirements

  • Enrolment in a university or college program is required.

Other considerations

  • Most university teaching and research assistants are employed on a part-time basis. Post-secondary teaching and research assistants specialize in a subject matter based on their field of study.

By the numbers

Quick look

2,550

employed in 2016

50.9%

employed full-time

1.6%

self employed

55.8%
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44.2%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
25.8

median age

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

55,420

employed in 2016

76.4%

employed full-time

6.6%

self employed

64.0%
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36%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
43.5

median age

Where will I likely work?

72.7%

Halifax

$6,921 median annual income
9.8%

North Shore

$9,320 median annual income
7.4%

Annapolis Valley

$9,934 median annual income
5.9%

Cape Breton

$9,118 median annual income
4.3%

Southern

$7,883 median annual income

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

96.9%

Educational services

1.3%

Professional, scientific and technical services

0.6%

Health care and social assistance

0.6%

Other services (except public administration)

0.6%

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

What is the age of Employment?

44.0%

15-24

35.0%

25-34

9.0%

35-44

5.0%

55-64

5.0%

45-54

2.0%

65+

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

24.2%

35-44

22.7%

45-54

21.4%

25-34

17.2%

55-64

8.4%

15-24

Top levels of education

39.9%

Bachelor

$6,579 median annual income
22.9%

Master

$9,543 median annual income
20.2%

High school

$6,358 median annual income
7.4%

Doctorate

$20,072 median annual income
4.3%

College Diploma

$33,586 median annual income

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

28.9%

Bachelor

$45,929 median annual income
21.2%

College Diploma

$35,398 median annual income
16.8%

Master

$71,043 median annual income
14.6%

High school

$29,055 median annual income
4.6%

Doctorate

$100,443 median annual income

Education & training

Biomedical Sciences

College or University Program

These programs focus on the integrative scientific study of biological issues related to health and medicine, or a program in one or more of the biomedical sciences that is undifferentiated as to title. They include courses in any of the basic medical sciences at the research level, biological science research in biomedical faculties, and general studies encompassing a variety of the biomedical disciplines.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Computer Science

College or University Program

These programs focus on computers, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. They include courses in the principles of computational science, and computing theory, computer hardware design, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

University of King's College

Halifax, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Saint Mary's University

Halifax, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts

Canadian Association of University Teachers
Ottawa, ON

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.