Esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) has a high mortality rate. MicroRNA (miR)‑92a‑3p is considered to be a tumor promotor and an oncomiR. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of miR‑92a‑3p and its target gene on ESCC in terms of proliferation, migration and invasion. Higher expression of miR‑92a‑3p was detected in the tissues of patients with ESCC, compared with that in normal tissues. In addition, ESCC cell lines had a higher expression of miR‑92a‑3p compared with normal esophageal cells. A miR‑92a‑3p mimic was found to promote ESCC cell proliferation and a miR‑92a‑3p inhibitor was found to reduce ESCC cell proliferation. miR‑92a‑3p mimic transfection accelerated ESCC cell migration and invasion and decreased ESCC cell apoptosis via the Bax/Bcl‑2 pathway and cleaved caspase‑3. Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) was detected as a target of miR‑92a‑3p by a dual luciferase reporter assay. The overexpression of PTEN not only inhibited ESCC proliferation, migration and invasion, but also promoted ESCC cell apoptosis. PTEN and the miR‑92a‑3p mimic inhibited and promoted ESCC proliferation, respectively, which may be associated with the PI3K/Akt pathway. The results of the study revealed that miR‑92a‑3p promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of ESCC, and the effect of miR‑92a‑3p on ESCC was realized by regulating PTEN.