Most school districts in Contra Costa County post their jobs on one website, EDJOIN. On October 2, 2026 it listed 597 openings in the county, and most of them were not teaching jobs. Instructional aides, food service, bus drivers, custodians and office staff are all hired there, and many of those jobs need no degree.
Here is how EDJOIN works, what the jobs pay, and what each step asks of you.
Who is hiring
The districts with the most openings that day:
- San Ramon Valley Unified: 198
- Mt. Diablo Unified: 105
- West Contra Costa Unified: 78
- Pittsburg Unified: 22
- Antioch Unified: 20
- Contra Costa Community College District: 16
Acalanes, Liberty, Walnut Creek, Martinez, John Swett, Brentwood and several charter and private schools were hiring too.
By job type, the biggest group was teacher assistants, aides and paraeducators (141 openings), followed by other support jobs (92), special education teachers (45) and coaches (45). Food service, transportation and custodial work had more than 20 openings each.
What the jobs pay
A few ranges as posted in early October 2026:
- Instructional Assistant, Mt. Diablo Unified: $19.22 to $24.70 an hour, 3.9 hours a day.
- Para Educator, Martinez Unified: $20.71 to $26.49 an hour.
- Food Service Assistant, Brentwood Union: $19.39 to $23.59 an hour.
- Typist Clerk I (Bilingual), West Contra Costa Unified: $22.51 to $26.82 an hour.
- Admissions and Records Assistant I, Contra Costa Community College District: $47,460 to $57,828 a year.
Many support jobs are part time and follow the school day, which suits parents. Each posting gives the hours.
Step 1: Set up your EDJOIN account once
Register on EDJOIN and fill in your profile. The profile holds the questions every application asks, so you only answer them once. Upload the documents districts ask for most so they are ready to attach:
- A current resume.
- A short letter of introduction.
- Letters of recommendation, or the names and email addresses of three references.
- Proof of education when a posting asks for it, such as a diploma or transcript.
Then search by Contra Costa County and use Save Search, so the next opening comes to you.
Step 2: Read the requirements line by line
Every district writes its own posting, and an incomplete application is usually not considered. West Contra Costa Unified says so directly. Look for:
- Required attachments. If a posting asks for three references with email addresses, give email addresses.
- The paraeducator requirement. Aide jobs that support teaching often need one of these: 48 semester or 72 quarter college units, an associate degree or higher, a passing CBEST score, or a pass on the district’s own test. San Ramon Valley’s paraeducator postings list all four. College work from outside the United States needs a foreign transcript evaluation.
- A district exam. Some office jobs require one. West Contra Costa’s Typist Clerk posting says applicants who meet the minimum qualifications may be invited to test. A typing certificate helps for clerical work.
- Who goes first. Some districts consider their current employees before outside applicants.
Step 3: Get through the checks after an offer
School jobs come with checks that most private jobs do not. Martinez Unified lists them in its postings:
- A negative TB test.
- Fingerprinting for a background check, which California law requires of school employees.
- Proof of citizenship or immigration status that allows you to work.
- For some jobs, a physical test of the strength the job needs, at no cost to you.
Start the paperwork as soon as you are offered the job, since you usually cannot begin work until it clears.
A faster way in: substitute pools
Districts keep standing pools of substitute aides, food service workers, yard aides and office staff, and those postings often stay open until filled. Substitute work gets you known at the schools and inside the district, which helps when a permanent position opens.
Before you apply
- Take our Are You Interview Ready? quiz before the district calls.
- Applying for county jobs too? The process is different. See How to Get a Job With Contra Costa County.
- Want work outside schools as well? Browse jobs in Contra Costa County or set up a job alert.