Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary salary by state
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.
Top skills:Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingInstructingLearning StrategiesWriting
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary pay by experience level
Entry level$29,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$36,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$44,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$62,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$79,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+3.1%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
24,600
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary salary by industry
Educational Services
162,620 workers
$49,500
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
143,910 workers
$49,500
Educational Services, State Government Owned
103,110 workers
$50,000
Educational Services, Privately Owned
43,400 workers
$46,500
Junior Colleges
17,580 workers
$50,500
Educational Services, Local Government Owned
16,110 workers
$52,000
Technical and Trade Schools
880 workers
$46,500
Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations
870 workers
$42,000
Grantmaking and Giving Services
780 workers
$42,000
Hospitals
360 workers
$44,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary pays 44% below the average across 65 roles in the Educational Instruction and Library job family (family average $88,500).
Similar-paying roles in Educational Instruction and Library
Need Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
