Teaching assistants, postsecondary salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28,600 | Data unavailable |
| Median (50th percentile) | $42,910 | Data unavailable |
| Mean (average) | $47,670 | Data unavailable |
| 90th percentile | $76,420 | Data unavailable |
BLS publishes only annual wages for this occupation because workers are typically paid on an annual basis rather than hourly.
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Teaching assistants, postsecondary pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 48 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $22,600 | $17,730 | $37,510 | ||
| Alaska | $35,790 | $31,550 | $40,360 | 70 | 0.22 |
| Arizona | $49,810 | $30,900 | $74,830 | 7,200 | 2.11 |
| Arkansas | $23,140 | $22,880 | $35,530 | 2,600 | 1.89 |
| California | $49,140 | $35,460 | $77,440 | 19,120 | 0.99 |
| Colorado | $37,450 | $32,430 | $81,240 | 530 | 0.18 |
| Connecticut | Data unavailable | 4,700 | 2.62 | ||
| District of Columbia | $43,160 | $36,400 | $73,370 | 130 | 0.17 |
| Florida | $37,770 | $35,080 | $44,270 | 9,130 | 0.87 |
| Georgia | $48,800 | $21,900 | $73,190 | 2,470 | 0.48 |
| Idaho | $37,310 | $27,430 | $71,400 | 220 | 0.24 |
| Illinois | $36,040 | $31,850 | $96,230 | 12,340 | 1.92 |
| Indiana | $34,910 | $20,850 | $62,290 | 1,940 | 0.58 |
| Iowa | $38,960 | $22,790 | $66,080 | 560 | 0.34 |
| Kansas | $41,580 | $16,640 | $57,270 | 640 | 0.42 |
| Kentucky | $49,680 | $31,270 | $80,200 | 990 | 0.47 |
| Louisiana | $37,950 | $21,380 | $59,880 | 440 | 0.22 |
| Maine | $47,210 | $36,910 | $74,780 | 90 | 0.13 |
| Maryland | $58,330 | $40,460 | $75,980 | 5,030 | 1.73 |
| Massachusetts | $56,370 | $32,890 | $77,920 | 3,040 | 0.79 |
| Michigan | $39,830 | $33,240 | $76,420 | 18,440 | 3.97 |
| Minnesota | $53,380 | $24,450 | $61,780 | 600 | 0.19 |
| Mississippi | Data unavailable | 390 | 0.32 | ||
| Montana | $30,070 | $21,940 | $61,620 | 380 | 0.71 |
| Nebraska | $39,650 | $28,080 | $69,680 | 730 | 0.67 |
| Nevada | $24,960 | $24,960 | $24,960 | 540 | 0.33 |
| New Hampshire | $26,810 | $22,860 | $48,190 | 480 | 0.66 |
| New Jersey | $54,260 | $35,940 | $81,120 | 3,390 | 0.75 |
| New Mexico | $48,270 | $34,400 | $65,100 | 370 | 0.41 |
| New York | $43,610 | $34,680 | $75,190 | 17,390 | 1.7 |
| North Carolina | $50,050 | $33,130 | $73,980 | 2,900 | 0.56 |
| North Dakota | $49,960 | $36,960 | $59,080 | 90 | 0.19 |
| Ohio | $48,710 | $23,600 | $92,200 | 2,210 | 0.38 |
| Oklahoma | $49,920 | $29,120 | $60,230 | 1,680 | 0.93 |
| Oregon | $49,550 | $38,970 | $80,570 | 880 | 0.43 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,020 | $21,060 | $60,130 | 2,480 | 0.39 |
| Puerto Rico | $47,440 | $30,220 | $64,330 | 1,640 | 1.66 |
| Rhode Island | $49,420 | $31,200 | $64,880 | 50 | 0.1 |
| South Carolina | $46,760 | $19,630 | $60,510 | 2,730 | 1.12 |
| South Dakota | $39,840 | $27,620 | $65,130 | 460 | 0.96 |
| Tennessee | $36,950 | $22,580 | $45,270 | 300 | 0.09 |
| Texas | $55,670 | $23,660 | $64,160 | 13,540 | 0.91 |
| Utah | $52,300 | $26,730 | $76,910 | 2,020 | 1.1 |
| Vermont | $48,620 | $35,030 | $59,510 | 60 | 0.18 |
| Virginia | $49,890 | $31,670 | $80,310 | 1,660 | 0.38 |
| Washington | $50,460 | $34,650 | $64,740 | 1,480 | 0.39 |
| West Virginia | $35,960 | $28,880 | $36,990 | 40 | 0.05 |
| Wisconsin | $47,990 | $30,670 | $58,740 | 4,210 | 1.36 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 25,700. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.1%.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for teaching assistants, postsecondary
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Teaching Assistants/Aides, Other CIP 13.1599
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Teach undergraduate-level courses.
- Evaluate and grade examinations, assignments, or papers, and record grades.
- Lead discussion sections, tutorials, or laboratory sections.
- Develop teaching materials, such as syllabi, visual aids, answer keys, supplementary notes, or course Web sites.
- Inform students of the procedures for completing and submitting class work, such as lab reports.
- Return assignments to students in accordance with established deadlines.
- Prepare or proctor examinations.
- Tutor or mentor students who need additional instruction.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- SAS (hot technology)
- Structured query language SQL (hot technology)
- Blackboard Learn
- Collaborative editing software
- Course management system software
- DOC Cop
- Desire2Learn LMS software
- Email software
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making.
Common job titles: Graduate Assistant, Graduate Fellow, Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Student, Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), Research Assistant (RA), Teaching Assistant (TA), Teaching Fellow.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do teaching assistants, postsecondary make?
The national median annual wage for teaching assistants, postsecondary was $42,910 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $28,600 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $76,420. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do teaching assistants, postsecondary need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is teaching assistants, postsecondary a growing career?
BLS projects employment of teaching assistants, postsecondary to change +2.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 25,700 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay teaching assistants, postsecondary the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Maryland ($58,330), Massachusetts ($56,370), Texas ($55,670). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.