Job Prospects in Austria

The application period for the 2026-2027 program year of the U.S. Teaching Assistantship (USTA) Program administered by Fulbright Austria on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education (BMB) is now open! The USTA Program facilitates the placement of U.S. citizens at Austrian secondary schools to teach English for an academic year. See more detailed information about the USTA Program below to provide you with more insight into the program so you may make an informed decision about applying.

If you or your students have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Requirements for applicants:

U.S. citizenship (dual U.S. citizens are welcome to apply),
A required German proficiency level of B1/Intermediate Mid or above by the time of application (applicants without the required proficiency cannot be considered),
A completed bachelor’s degree (by summer 2026 for program year 2026-2027) or any higher degree. No age limit applies.

Good to know:

Applications can be submitted on our online application platform between November, 15, 2025, and January 15, 2026! Uploads: CV, personal statement (1,000 words), proof of German proficiency, current official transcript, two letters of recommendation (uploaded by recommenders), signed application form.
Program dates: October 1, 2026, – May 31, 2027, (Applicants will be notified of their status in spring 2026. Alternate candidates could be offered spots between spring and early summer if spots became available).
A teaching assistantship is a temporary job placement at two (rarely one or three) Austrian secondary schools. TAs work with mentor teachers at their schools.
Info sessions on Zoom with Q&As for students and recent graduates will be offered in November and December (November 28, December 5, December 12; each at 19:00 CET/13:00 EST/10:00 PST) – you can register here!
Applicants need to be independent, resilient, adaptable to different environments, open, communicative, and reliable — you will be fully immersed in Austrian daily life, bureaucracy, and working culture. Sufficient German language proficiency is therefore critical.
Watch former teaching assistants Caroline, Jared, Josephine, Rory, Sawyer, Jacob, Michael, and Kaj speaking on their experiences on our USTA YouTube playlist!
Teaching assistants are insured and salaried instead of receiving a stipend or grant (numbers as of 2025-2026: monthly gross salary of approx. €2.012/ $2,328; monthly net salary of approx. €1.631/ around $1,887). We do not offer support for dependents, and the salary supports one person only.
Selected candidates should be prepared to incur expenses and fees before and during their time in Austria. Please find a list of applicable costs here.
Possible secondary school types to work in would be Gymnasium (academic secondary school; students’ age range: 11 to 18 years, 11 to 14 years, or 14 to 18 years) or vocational secondary school types focusing on business, engineering, preschool teacher training, hospitality/tourism, nutrition, etc. (students’ age range: 14 to 19 years). Please indicate interest in the personal statement and in the application form (school type preference).
We also offer a limited number of placements at vocational secondary schools focused on agriculture, agricultural engineering, the environment, sustainability, biotechnology, animal husbandry, nutrition, horticulture, viticulture, and fruit/vegetable farming, managed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management (BMLUK). Please indicate interest in the personal statement and in the application form (school type preference).

Previous teaching experience is NOT required but can be beneficial — this includes (but is not limited to) tutoring, summer/language immersion/sports camp counselor duties, resident assistant in dorms, social/YMCA involvement, church or faith group leadership, Boy/Girl Scout leadership roles, previous TA jobs, or any other relevant career opportunities.

You can find a roadmap to the application here and this page by Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD) provides an overview of the Austrian education system.

Students are cordially invited to apply online via the USTA application website and to check their email frequently in case additional information is requested for review of their applications.

If you would like additional information, please contact Professor Drury at kdrury@huntington.edu to receive 1) a program flyer that provides more information about the USTA Program and 2) a list of required application documents.