TECHNICAL ASSISTANT 1
Career Family: TECHNICAL ASSISTANT
New Jersey treats Technical Assistant 1 as a competitive-class job, so the gate is an examination and the ranked list it produces rather than a direct offer.
This is where the Technical Assistant ladder starts, one grade under Technical Assistant 2, whose band tops out about $10,861 higher. The spec names an associate's degree, but it leaves the door open to substitute experience for the degree. The FY2027 range lands between $48,807 and $70,641, and state payroll currently lists about 154 people in the title, led by Motor Vehicle Commission.
How to apply
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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.
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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.
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Agency posting
Motor Vehicle Commission's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Community Affairs 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.
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Agency posting
Department of Law & Public Safety 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.
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Agency posting
Department of Children and Families 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.
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Agency posting
Department of Human Services's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Corrections's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Health 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.
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Agency posting
Department of Transportation 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.
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Agency posting
Department of Labor and Workforce Development's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsperson's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Education 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.
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Agency posting
Office of Information Technology's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
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Agency posting
Department of Environmental Protection 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
- Technical Assistant 1 — $50,990 – $73,902 (this title)
- Technical Assistant 2 — $58,222 – $84,763
- Technical Assistant 3 — $66,592 – $97,354
Promoting to Technical Assistant 2 raises the top of the band by about $10,861. Its top salary lands around the 15th 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 154 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $58,121. The agencies employing the most are:
- Motor Vehicle Commission (50)
- Community Affairs (28)
- Law and Public Safety (16)
- Children and Families (14)
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 close supervision of a supervisory official in a State department, institution, or agency, performs technical duties and/or performs para-professional responsibilities for prescribed technical projects or programs requiring the independent application of the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to varying situations within the particular area of assignment; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
Reviews contractual, financial, programmatic documents, or other documents for accuracy, appropriateness, and completeness, identifying and resolving problem areas and processing them in accordance with rules, regulations, and laws of the assigned unit. Edits, updates, retrieves, verifies, and corrects data, exercising independent judgement in making corrections to all errors. Assists visitors/callers to the department in securing information. Explains and interprets laws, regulations, and policies of assigned area to members of the general public, state officials, and others who desire such information. Prepares correspondence designed to convey information concerning the regulations and procedures of the department. May provide procedural information, obligations, responsibilities, and rights to program participants and other interested parties. Calculates applicable fees for payment. Maintains logs of assignments and establishes a tracking system for better flow of work. May assist in issuing licenses and renewals. Contacts applicants/public to verify information and resolve problem situations and complaints. Reviews operating procedures and recommends changes and revisions. Assist in coordinating, gathering, compiling, assembling, analyzing, and interpreting of data required by the supervisory official and/or professional staff in completing assigned tasks. Prepares official documents in accordance with unit procedures and established regulations. May assist in preparing contracts for funding within various programs. Assists in researching information needed for technical reports, program proposals, and/or correspondence. Processes requests for statistical data and information pertaining to the work of the unit. Assists in the preparation of statistical, technical, and/or financial reports. Maintains essential records and files. 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.
Education
Graduation from an accredited college or university with an Associate's degree.
Experience
One (1) year of experience in providing support to functions such as grant/contract compliance monitoring, program monitoring, or fiscal compliance and budgetary assistance and/or providing technical assistance to state and/or local communities or agencies, completing forms or applications, reviewing documents for accuracy and content, resolving complaints, or interpreting rules, regulations, policies, and procedures for the public, and/or others. N OTE: Applicants who do not possess the required experience may substitute additional education as indicated on a year-for-year basis with thirty (30) semester hour credits being equal to one (1) year of experience.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of the problems encountered while coordinating the collecting, appraising, and interpreting of data. Knowledge of office methods, practices, routines, machines, and equipment. Knowledge of the methods used to collect and analyze data. Ability to learn the program monitoring techniques of the assigned unit. Ability to read, understand, and communicate a variety of interrelated written technical and nontechnical instructions such as rules, guidelines, policies, results, and routine statistics. Ability to gather, assemble, organize, interpret, and record factual data. Ability to maintain essential records, reports, and files. Ability to implement modern office methods in the work unit. Ability to comprehend, analyze, interpret, and apply basic laws and regulations of the department. Ability to receive and, when possible, adjust complaints. Ability to coordinate efforts with groups and organizations interested in department programs and services. Ability to perform routine statistical analyses and simple mathematical calculations. Ability to organize assignments, analyze problems which arise therein, and develop effective work methods. Ability to prepare detailed, complex, technical, and confidential forms and correspondence. Ability to assist in the planning, coordinating, implementing, and upgrading existing programs in an assigned area. Ability to prepare detailed, technical, and confidential forms and correspondence, as may be required for the signature of a supervisory official. Ability to prepare and analyze financial documents and contracts. Ability to prepare and verify statistical, budget, and other reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. 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 the 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 with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. CODE: 10/27/2018 This job specification is applicable to the following title code(s) which are different work week or work month and/or variants of the job class title: Job Spec Code State, Local or Common Class of Service Work Week State Class Code Local Class Code Salary Range
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. SC4014N/AA15- SCNE14N/AA14- This job specification is for government use only. Salary range is only applicable to state government. Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions. 10/27/2018