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How Much Does a Teaching Assistant Make?

A teaching assistant in the US earns a median salary of $36,780 a year (BLS, May 2025). The average is $38,290, and the middle half earn between $31,060 and $45,360.

Median a year $36,780
Median a week $707
Median a month $3,065
Average a year $38,290

Teaching assistant pay range

What teaching assistants earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $27,150 –
25th $31,060 –
Median (50th) $36,780 –
75th $45,360 –
90th (top 10%) $50,040 –

The median is 28% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 1,420,350 people work as teaching assistants in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$707
Every two weeks
$1,415
Twice a month
$1,533
A month
$3,065

At the median salary, before tax.

Teaching assistant salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Washington pays teaching assistants the most, at $50,650 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Washington $50,650 $49,120 43,420 After tax
District of Columbia $47,690 $46,920 3,950 After tax
California $47,300 $46,490 177,140 After tax
Maine $45,790 $46,750 8,700 After tax
Massachusetts $42,970 $39,380 39,210 After tax
Maryland $42,630 $37,060 23,340 After tax
Vermont $42,040 $43,800 4,960 After tax
Minnesota $41,890 $40,100 38,540 After tax
New York $41,720 $38,240 137,820 After tax
Oregon $41,550 $39,850 23,030 After tax
Connecticut $41,130 $38,110 19,740 After tax
Virginia $40,960 $38,520 31,370 After tax
Delaware $40,350 $37,830 5,040 After tax
New Jersey $40,280 $37,290 55,580 After tax
New Hampshire $40,140 $38,440 7,880 After tax
Hawaii $39,570 $36,810 5,470 After tax
Alaska $39,010 $37,190 3,810 After tax
Illinois $38,950 $36,990 64,210 After tax
North Dakota $38,830 $38,240 5,600 After tax
Rhode Island $38,400 $37,220 5,200 After tax
Wisconsin $38,280 $37,800 26,520 After tax
Colorado $38,100 $35,760 21,910 After tax
Utah $37,680 $37,050 18,170 After tax
Virgin Islands $37,550 $37,710 400
Missouri $37,090 $36,300 20,930 After tax
Arizona $36,760 $35,900 25,280 After tax
New Mexico $36,610 $35,900 8,970 After tax
Idaho $36,330 $35,560 8,710 After tax
Ohio $36,030 $35,920 47,300 After tax
Wyoming $35,410 $36,100 3,680 After tax
Michigan $35,280 $35,110 39,030 After tax
Nebraska $35,030 $35,160 11,190 After tax
Montana $34,820 $34,750 3,930 After tax
Nevada $34,780 $31,900 7,100 After tax
Florida $34,420 $34,430 54,530 After tax
Pennsylvania $34,360 $34,740 48,310 After tax
Indiana $33,980 $33,300 28,450 After tax
Kentucky $33,510 $30,160 16,330 After tax
North Carolina $31,890 $29,790 32,150 After tax
West Virginia $31,560 $29,800 5,110 After tax
Texas $31,390 $29,850 108,960 After tax
Arkansas $31,380 $28,790 11,270 After tax
Iowa $31,160 $30,510 24,520 After tax
Tennessee $30,660 $29,210 23,280 After tax
Kansas $30,460 $29,490 20,000 After tax
Georgia $30,150 $28,770 33,410 After tax
South Carolina $30,150 $27,860 14,410 After tax
South Dakota $29,520 $28,220 4,650 After tax
Louisiana $28,690 $27,400 14,530 After tax
Oklahoma $28,150 $27,920 13,860 After tax
Alabama $26,090 $24,070 10,140 After tax
Mississippi $25,830 $25,840 9,750 After tax
Puerto Rico $25,240 $23,180 9,910
Guam $24,660 $21,250 180

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other education and library jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary” (SOC 25-9045). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a teaching assistant make a month?

At the median salary of $36,780, a teaching assistant earns about $3,065 a month before tax, or $1,415 every two weeks.

Which state pays teaching assistants the most?

Washington has the highest average pay for a teaching assistant, at $50,650 a year. Next are District of Columbia and California. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a teaching assistant?

The lowest-paid 10% of teaching assistants earn less than $27,150 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $31,060. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid teaching assistants make?

The top 10% earn more than $50,040 a year, and the top 25% more than $45,360.