Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for teaching assistants, except postsecondarys across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $38,290 ≈ $18/hr
National median salary $36,780
Total employment 1,420,350 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth -1.5%
Decline
Annual openings 170,400 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 1,422,800 → 1,401,700 (-21,100)
Typical entry education Some college, no degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$50,650
- District of Columbia$47,690
- California$47,300
- Maine$45,790
- Massachusetts$42,970
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$25,830
- Alabama$26,090
- Oklahoma$28,150
- Louisiana$28,690
- South Dakota$29,520
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $50,650 | $49,120 | $24 | +32.3% | 43,420 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $47,690 | $46,920 | $23 | +24.5% | 3,950 |
| 3 | California | $47,300 | $46,490 | $23 | +23.5% | 177,140 |
| 4 | Maine | $45,790 | $46,750 | $22 | +19.6% | 8,700 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $42,970 | $39,380 | $21 | +12.2% | 39,210 |
| 6 | Maryland | $42,630 | $37,060 | $21 | +11.3% | 23,340 |
| 7 | Vermont | $42,040 | $43,800 | $20 | +9.8% | 4,960 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $41,890 | $40,100 | $20 | +9.4% | 38,540 |
| 9 | New York | $41,720 | $38,240 | $20 | +9% | 137,820 |
| 10 | Oregon | $41,550 | $39,850 | $20 | +8.5% | 23,030 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $41,130 | $38,110 | $20 | +7.4% | 19,740 |
| 12 | Virginia | $40,960 | $38,520 | $20 | +7% | 31,370 |
| 13 | Delaware | $40,350 | $37,830 | $19 | +5.4% | 5,040 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $40,280 | $37,290 | $19 | +5.2% | 55,580 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $40,140 | $38,440 | $19 | +4.8% | 7,880 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $39,570 | $36,810 | $19 | +3.3% | 5,470 |
| 17 | Alaska | $39,010 | $37,190 | $19 | +1.9% | 3,810 |
| 18 | Illinois | $38,950 | $36,990 | $19 | +1.7% | 64,210 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $38,830 | $38,240 | $19 | +1.4% | 5,600 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $38,400 | $37,220 | $18 | +0.3% | 5,200 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $38,280 | $37,800 | $18 | +0% | 26,520 |
| 22 | Colorado | $38,100 | $35,760 | $18 | -0.5% | 21,910 |
| 23 | Utah | $37,680 | $37,050 | $18 | -1.6% | 18,170 |
| 24 | Missouri | $37,090 | $36,300 | $18 | -3.1% | 20,930 |
| 25 | Arizona | $36,760 | $35,900 | $18 | -4% | 25,280 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $36,610 | $35,900 | $18 | -4.4% | 8,970 |
| 27 | Idaho | $36,330 | $35,560 | $17 | -5.1% | 8,710 |
| 28 | Ohio | $36,030 | $35,920 | $17 | -5.9% | 47,300 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $35,410 | $36,100 | $17 | -7.5% | 3,680 |
| 30 | Michigan | $35,280 | $35,110 | $17 | -7.9% | 39,030 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $35,030 | $35,160 | $17 | -8.5% | 11,190 |
| 32 | Montana | $34,820 | $34,750 | $17 | -9.1% | 3,930 |
| 33 | Nevada | $34,780 | $31,900 | $17 | -9.2% | 7,100 |
| 34 | Florida | $34,420 | $34,430 | $17 | -10.1% | 54,530 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $34,360 | $34,740 | $17 | -10.3% | 48,310 |
| 36 | Indiana | $33,980 | $33,300 | $16 | -11.3% | 28,450 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $33,510 | $30,160 | $16 | -12.5% | 16,330 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $31,890 | $29,790 | $15 | -16.7% | 32,150 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $31,560 | $29,800 | $15 | -17.6% | 5,110 |
| 40 | Texas | $31,390 | $29,850 | $15 | -18% | 108,960 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $31,380 | $28,790 | $15 | -18% | 11,270 |
| 42 | Iowa | $31,160 | $30,510 | $15 | -18.6% | 24,520 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $30,660 | $29,210 | $15 | -19.9% | 23,280 |
| 44 | Kansas | $30,460 | $29,490 | $15 | -20.4% | 20,000 |
| 45 | Georgia | $30,150 | $28,770 | $15 | -21.3% | 33,410 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $30,150 | $27,860 | $15 | -21.3% | 14,410 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $29,520 | $28,220 | $14 | -22.9% | 4,650 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $28,690 | $27,400 | $14 | -25.1% | 14,530 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $28,150 | $27,920 | $14 | -26.5% | 13,860 |
| 50 | Alabama | $26,090 | $24,070 | $13 | -31.9% | 10,140 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $25,830 | $25,840 | $12 | -32.5% | 9,750 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 519 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $57,950 | $54,130 | 870 |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $53,950 | $54,720 | 21,040 |
| 3 | Bellingham, WA | $51,670 | $51,280 | 1,200 |
| 4 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $51,350 | $49,070 | 1,700 |
| 5 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $50,530 | $51,970 | 1,370 |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $49,360 | $52,640 | 18,710 |
| 7 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $49,010 | $51,670 | 7,240 |
| 8 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $48,770 | $48,810 | 3,170 |
| 9 | Decatur, IL | $48,480 | $47,500 | 550 |
| 10 | Napa, CA | $48,450 | $49,660 | 530 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing teaching assistants, except postsecondarys (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, State Government Owned | $56,380 | $52,160 | 50 |
| 2 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $51,610 | $50,580 | 60 |
| 3 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $46,270 | $46,070 | — |
| 4 | Grantmaking and Giving Services | $46,130 | $46,350 | 500 |
| 5 | Hospitals | $45,990 | $46,790 | 930 |
| 6 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $45,220 | $46,610 | 860 |
| 7 | Technical and Trade Schools, Privately Owned | $45,050 | $48,440 | 400 |
| 8 | Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events | $45,020 | $45,760 | — |
| 9 | Technical and Trade Schools | $44,180 | $46,640 | 580 |
| 10 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, Privately Owned | $44,160 | $44,520 | 200 |
| 11 | Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) | $43,360 | $41,680 | 110 |
| 12 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $42,780 | $46,760 | 540 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do teaching assistants, except postsecondary make in the U.S.?
The median teaching assistants, except postsecondary salary in the United States is $36,780 per year (mean $38,290), and about 80% earn between $27,150 and $50,040.
How much do teaching assistants, except postsecondary make per hour?
Roughly $18 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $38,290 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays teaching assistants, except postsecondary the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for teaching assistants, except postsecondary at $50,650 per year (median $49,120).
What is the job outlook for teaching assistants, except postsecondary?
Employment is projected to change -1.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 170,400 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
how much do teaching assistants makehow much do teaching assistants make a yearhow much do teaching assistants make in a monthhow much do teaching assistants make in nyhow much do teaching assistants make in texashow much do teaching assistants make per hourhow much do teaching assistants make per yearhow much does a teacher assistant make a yearhow much does a teacher's assistant maketeacher assistant salary by stateteacher assistant salary in washington stateteaching assistant salary hkteaching assistant salary per hourteaching assistant salary walesteaching assistants salary