Employment Outlook

The employment outlook will be Moderate for post-secondary teaching and research assistants (NOC 41201) in Prince Edward Island for the 2025-2027 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
• High employee turnover in this occupation could lead to additional employment opportunities.

Post-secondary teaching and research assistants in Prince Edward Island remain in demand, with job openings largely driven by turnover as graduate or senior-level students complete their studies and move into other careers. Employment prospects are tied closely to student enrolment, government investments, and research funding, but recent federal policy changes capping international student permits have sharply reduced enrolment at local institutions. This has created financial strain which may be a limiting factor for assistant positions. Candidates are typically selected based on academic performance and communication skills, and positions often provide valuable experience for those pursuing academic or research careers.

For new graduates or those seeking work while studying, this occupation offers flexible, short-term employment with strong experiential benefits, though future availability may depend on how institutions adapt to reduced international enrolment and funding pressures. 

Here are some key facts about Post-secondary teaching and research assistants in Prince Edward Island:

• Approximately 300 people work in this occupation.
• Post-secondary teaching and research assistants mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Universities (NAICS 6113): 88%
  • Community colleges and C.E.G.E.P.s (NAICS 6112): 8%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 74% compared to 84% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 26% compared to 16% for all occupations
• 41% of post-secondary teaching and research assistants work all year, while 59% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 37 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 42% compared to 51% for all occupations
  • Women: 57% compared to 49% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: n/a
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 25% compared to 28% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: less than 5% compared to 25% for all occupations
  • bachelor’s degree: 40% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 31% compared to 8% for all occupation

Source: Job Bank

Prevailing Wages