A teaching assistant who supports a career pathway, lab or shop, or program of study should be paid from local market figures, not a single blended web average. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 reports a national median annual wage of $36,780 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary (SOC 25-9045) and 1,420,350 wage-and-salary jobs. BLS counts teaching assistants within that title and publishes annual wages only.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National employment | 1,420,350 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Annual median | $36,780 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Annual 10th–90th percentile | $27,150–$50,040 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Annual mean | $38,290 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
How much to pay a teaching assistant: the short answer
Use the BLS annual distribution for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary as the market reference. The national 10th percentile is $27,150, the 25th is $31,060, the median is $36,780, the 75th is $45,360, and the 90th is $50,040. The annual mean is $38,290. BLS does not publish hourly wages for this occupation.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $27,150 |
| 25th | $31,060 |
| Median (50th) | $36,780 |
| 75th | $45,360 |
| 90th | $50,040 |
A principal, CTE director, or program chair should start from the state or metro row that matches the campus, then place a single offer inside that spread. Do not convert these annual figures into hourly or stipend rates. BLS does not print those units for this code.
What the percentiles mean for your offer
The percentiles are the spread of pay across the occupation, not job titles. They show where wage-and-salary teaching assistants sit nationally, from the lower published figures through the median and into the upper published figures.
Place the offer by relevant experience and by the scope of duties in your lab, shop, or classroom. A narrower assignment—one period of instructional support, limited student supervision, little shop or pathway work—belongs toward the lower part of the local spread. A full-load assignment that keeps a program of study moving, covers a shop while the instructor is with industry partners, or supports work-based learning and a student organization belongs toward the median or the upper percentiles.
Screen for that scope with job-related questions, not with assumptions about the person. Teaching assistant interview questions should track the same duties you used to place the offer.
Pay by state
State medians run from Washington at $49,120 to Alabama at $24,070. Compare your state with the national median of $36,780. Illinois is $36,990 and Hawaii is $36,810; Texas is $29,850 and Georgia is $28,770. California employs 177,140 teaching assistants at a $46,490 median; New York employs 137,820 at $38,240.
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that area's employment than nationally. Vermont's location quotient is 1.79, Iowa's is 1.72, and Kansas's is 1.52. Nevada's is 0.5 and Alabama's is 0.53. For where employment sits, see where to find teaching assistants in top states and metros.
| Rank | State | Employment | Annual median | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 43,420 | $49,120 | 1.34 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 3,950 | $46,920 | 0.62 |
| 3 | Maine | 8,700 | $46,750 | 1.49 |
| 4 | California | 177,140 | $46,490 | 1.06 |
| 5 | Vermont | 4,960 | $43,800 | 1.79 |
| 6 | Minnesota | 38,540 | $40,100 | 1.43 |
| 7 | Oregon | 23,030 | $39,850 | 1.28 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 39,210 | $39,380 | 1.18 |
| 9 | Virginia | 31,370 | $38,520 | 0.84 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 7,880 | $38,440 | 1.26 |
| Rank | State | Employment | Annual median | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | Oklahoma | 13,860 | $27,920 | 0.89 |
| 48 | South Carolina | 14,410 | $27,860 | 0.68 |
| 49 | Louisiana | 14,530 | $27,400 | 0.82 |
| 50 | Mississippi | 9,750 | $25,840 | 0.92 |
| 51 | Alabama | 10,140 | $24,070 | 0.53 |
If your district or college sits in a high-median state, a posting that quotes only the national $36,780 figure will look low to applicants who already work in that market. If it sits in a lower-median state, the national figure can overshoot what nearby employers pay for the same shop support role.
Pay in major metro areas
The metros with the most jobs are not always the best paid. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has 126,920 jobs and a $38,890 median. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has 21,040 jobs and a $53,950 median. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX has 23,930 jobs and a $29,300 median. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA has 17,230 jobs and a $29,500 median.
| Rank | Metro area | Employment | Annual median | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 21,040 | $53,950 | 1.1 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 18,710 | $49,360 | 0.86 |
| 3 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 13,260 | $46,440 | 0.94 |
| 4 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 22,500 | $46,330 | 1.43 |
| 5 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 53,010 | $46,240 | 0.93 |
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 25,050 | $46,200 | 0.87 |
| 7 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 11,110 | $45,990 | 1.13 |
| 8 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 23,370 | $45,310 | 1.31 |
| 9 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 12,500 | $45,280 | 1.13 |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 26,350 | $40,930 | 1.07 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN lists 46,770 jobs at $37,840. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX lists 25,270 jobs at $31,480. Use the metro row when your career center or campus sits inside one of these areas; use the state row when it does not.
Factors that should move the offer up or down
Relevant experience should move the offer. Time in a welding shop, health science lab, culinary kitchen, or other pathway classroom is worth more than generic aide work. So is skill at keeping tools, stations, and student work flowing while the instructor teaches.
Extra duties should move it as well. Extended lab hours, coverage during work-based learning placements, support for a student organization, and help with advisory committee meetings are not the same assignment as a single-period classroom aide. Write those duties into the posting so the range matches the work.
Name the calendar and the FTE. A school-year assignment at a high school career center and a year-round assignment at a technical college are different work years; BLS still reports one annual occupational series. State hours per week and whether the role is part-time or full-time. Do not treat the BLS annual median as a per-course or stipend figure.
The instructor on the same program of study is a different occupation with its own BLS series. Set that range from how much to pay a career and technical education teacher, not from the teaching assistant table. If the opening is an early childhood pathway rather than a secondary shop, how to hire a preschool teaching assistant covers that assignment.
Turning the benchmark into a posted range
Set a posted range from your state's or metro's BLS median and percentiles, then adjust for the scope you actually need. A tight range around the local median fits a standard full-load support role. A range that reaches the local 75th or 90th percentile fits a hard-to-staff shop, an extended calendar, or added pathway duties.
Write pay, schedule, and duties in plain language: annual range, school-year or year-round calendar, hours, the career pathway, and whether the person works in a classroom, lab, or shop. Keep every line job-related. Under the laws enforced by the EEOC (accessed September 24, 2026), it is illegal to discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex (including transgender status, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information, including in a job advertisement that shows a preference or discourages someone from applying.
If a candidate lists a license or credential, verify it with the body that issues it before the start date. Follow your district's or college's own clearance process. This guide is general information as of September 24, 2026, not legal advice.
When the range and the duties are set, post the opening on ACTE Job Bank so applicants see the same pay, calendar, and lab or shop work you used to build the offer.
More hiring guides
FAQ
What is the median pay for a teaching assistant?
The national median annual wage is $36,780, from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary.
Which states pay teaching assistants the most?
Washington has the highest annual median at $49,120. The District of Columbia is $46,920 and Maine is $46,750.
How should experience change the offer?
Match the offer to relevant lab, shop, or classroom experience and to the scope of duties. Use the lower part of the BLS percentile spread for a narrower assignment and the median or upper percentiles when the work is broader or harder to fill.
Does BLS report hourly or annual pay for this role?
BLS publishes annual wages only for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary. The national median is $36,780 per year.
How do I set a pay range for the posting?
Start from your state's or metro area's BLS annual median and percentiles, set a range that fits the role's schedule and duties, and print that range in the posting.
