Job prospects Educational Assistant in Nova Scotia

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as an "educational assistant" in Nova Scotia or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Nova Scotia

These outlooks were updated on December 11, 2024.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be good for Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants (NOC 43100) in Nova Scotia for the 2024-2026 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Teacher assistants are in great demand in some areas of the province, such as the South Shore and the Annapolis Valley, so qualified applicants should find work easily. Hiring for positions in the public school system often occurs in the spring before the beginning of the school year of employment. Working hours tend to correspond to the school day, meaning that they fall well short of 40 hours per week. However, this schedule can be convenient or beneficial for teacher assistants with children of their own.  

Training to become a teacher assistant is relatively short, at less than one year, and is offered at career colleges throughout the province, as well as Université Sainte-Anne.

Here are some key facts about Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants in Nova Scotia:

• Approximately 3,650 people work in this occupation.
• Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Elementary and secondary schools (NAICS 6111): more than 95%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 60% compared to 82% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 40% compared to 18% for all occupations
• 30% of elementary and secondary school teacher assistants work all year, while 70% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 40 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 8% compared to 51% for all occupations
  • Women: 92% compared to 49% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 10% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 22% compared to 27% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 12% compared to 12% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 46% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 15% compared to 20% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 10% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Nova Scotia by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Job prospects elsewhere in Canada

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as an "educational assistant" Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants (NOC 43100) or across Canada.

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