NJ Civil Service Navigator

TECHNICAL ASSISTANT 1 DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Code: 10134 State Competitive Range: A15 (FY2027)

Career Family: TECHNICAL ASSISTANT

Salary: $50,990.49 - $73,901.79/year FY2027 schedule (last updated 2026-05-08)

Technical Assistant 1 Department of State is a state title in New Jersey's competitive civil service, which means the way in is an open exam rather than a direct appointment.

On paper it calls for an associate's degree, though the specification lets enough relevant experience stand in for the degree. Pay on the FY2027 schedule runs $50,990 to $73,902, and state payroll currently lists 2 people in the title, most of them at State.

How to apply

  • Exam

    This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.

  • Exam

    Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.

  • Agency posting

    Department of State posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.

Pay ladder: Technical Assistant series

  1. Technical Assistant 1 — $50,990 – $73,902
  2. Technical Assistant 2 — $58,222 – $84,763
  3. Technical Assistant 3 — $66,592 – $97,354

Its top salary lands around the 17th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.

Rungs are ordered by FY2027 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.

Who employs this title

State payroll records show 2 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $61,441. The agencies employing the most are:

  • State (2)

Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.

Definition

Under the direction of a supervisor of official in the Department of State, performs the technical and/or paraprofessional functions that support and relieve the professional staff of routine tasks and duties; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

  • Attends formal and informal training sessions to learn new procedures, methods and practices used by the unit in order to achieve desired goals.
  • Assists in conducting the day to day business of the unit by responding to routine inquiries from visitors, correspondence and telephone calls.
  • Contributes to the preparation of regular and special reports and routine and customized correspondence.
  • Assists in gathering, compiling, and assembling data required by the professional staff and may assist in analyzing and interpreting data.
  • Assists in preparing and implementing plans and arrangements associated with regular and special meetings, programs, seminars and presentations.
  • May prepare and distribute materials, meeting notes and minutes associated with regular and special meetings, programs, seminars and presentations.
  • Enters data which has been provided by professional staff onto forms or into databases, by manual and/or electronic means.
  • May provide reception services, greeting and directing visitors/patrons, answering telephone inquiries, receiving and distributing mail, paychecks, etc.
  • May assist in the survey of office needs in relations to equipment, materials and supplies.
  • Prepares purchase orders and requisitions to obtain needed materials.
  • May assist or serve as unit timekeeper, collecting, recording and transmitting attendance information by manual and/or electronic means.
  • May perform personnel work of a sensitive or confidential nature including preparing correspondence and/or forms, photocopying, filing, etc.
  • Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
  • Maintains records and files.

Education

Successful completion of 60 semester hours at an accredited college.

Experience

Two (2) years of experience in the gathering, recording, and processing of technical data.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in NJ only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

  • Knowledge of office methods, practices, routines, machines, and equipment.
  • Knowledge of the problems encountered in assisting with the collecting, analyzing, appraising, interpreting and processing of data.
  • Knowledge of departmental and divisional rules, regulations and policies.
  • Knowledge of the techniques associated with researching, developing, analyzing and recommending solutions to problems.
  • Knowledge of departmental and divisional personnel and fiscal practices and procedures.
  • Ability to gather, assemble, organize, interpret, record and process factual data.
  • Ability to work effectively with others.
  • Ability to prepare clear, concise, factual reports and correspondence.
  • Ability to maintain records and files.
  • Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
  • Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
  • Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

Applicants who do not possess the required education may substitute additional experience as indicated on a year-for-year basis with thirty (30) semester hour credits being equal to one (1) year of experience.