Occupation overview

Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for teaching assistants, postsecondary is $42,910, or — per hour. About 164,090 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $58,330 in Maryland to $22,600 in Alabama.

Median annual

$42,910

Median hourly

—

Entry level (P10)

$28,600

Top 10% (P90)

$76,420

Employment

164,090

States covered

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile

$28,600

$35,270

$42,910

$60,510

$28,600$42,910$76,420

Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $42,910.

Salary by state

All 45 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#	State	Median annual	Median hourly	Employment	Location quotient
1	Maryland	$58,330	—	5,030	1.73
2	Massachusetts	$56,370	—	3,040	0.79
3	Texas	$55,670	—	13,540	0.91
4	New Jersey	$54,260	—	3,390	0.75
5	Minnesota	$53,380	—	600	0.19
6	Utah	$52,300	—	2,020	1.10
7	Washington	$50,460	—	1,480	0.39
8	North Carolina	$50,050	—	2,900	0.56
9	North Dakota	$49,960	—	90	0.19
10	Oklahoma	$49,920	—	1,680	0.93
11	Virginia	$49,890	—	1,660	0.38
12	Arizona	$49,810	—	7,200	2.11
13	Kentucky	$49,680	—	990	0.47
14	Oregon	$49,550	—	880	0.43
15	Rhode Island	$49,420	—	50	0.10
16	California	$49,140	—	19,120	0.99
17	Georgia	$48,800	—	2,470	0.48
18	Ohio	$48,710	—	2,210	0.38
19	Vermont	$48,620	—	60	0.18
20	New Mexico	$48,270	—	370	0.41
21	Wisconsin	$47,990	—	4,210	1.36
22	Maine	$47,210	—	90	0.13
23	South Carolina	$46,760	—	2,730	1.12
24	New York	$43,610	—	17,390	1.70
25	District of Columbia	$43,160	—	130	0.17
26	Kansas	$41,580	—	640	0.42
27	South Dakota	$39,840	—	460	0.96
28	Michigan	$39,830	—	18,440	3.97
29	Nebraska	$39,650	—	730	0.67
30	Iowa	$38,960	—	560	0.34
31	Pennsylvania	$38,020	—	2,480	0.39
32	Louisiana	$37,950	—	440	0.22
33	Florida	$37,770	—	9,130	0.87
34	Colorado	$37,450	—	530	0.18
35	Idaho	$37,310	—	220	0.24
36	Tennessee	$36,950	—	300	0.09
37	Illinois	$36,040	—	12,340	1.92
38	West Virginia	$35,960	—	40	0.05
39	Alaska	$35,790	—	70	0.22
40	Indiana	$34,910	—	1,940	0.58
41	Montana	$30,070	—	380	0.71
42	New Hampshire	$26,810	—	480	0.66
43	Nevada	$24,960	—	540	0.33
44	Arkansas	$23,140	—	2,600	1.89
45	Alabama	$22,600	—	—	—

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970 Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370 Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670 Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140

Frequently asked questions

How much do teaching assistants, postsecondary make?

The median annual wage for teaching assistants, postsecondary in the United States is $42,910, or — per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $28,600, and the top 10% earn $76,420.

How many teaching assistants, postsecondary are employed in the U.S.?

About 164,090 people work as teaching assistants, postsecondary nationwide.

Which state pays teaching assistants, postsecondary the most?

Maryland pays the most at a median of $58,330, followed by Massachusetts ($56,370) and Texas ($55,670).

Which state pays teaching assistants, postsecondary the least?

Alabama has the lowest median at $22,600.

Where are teaching assistants, postsecondary jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Michigan at 3.97×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes