Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary (SOC 25-9044) earn a median $42,910 a year in the United States, with 164,090 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Maryland.
What teaching assistants, postsecondary do
Postsecondary teaching assistants assist faculty or other instructional staff in postsecondary institutions with instructional support, and alternate titles such as graduate assistant and graduate student instructor show that many are graduate students. They lead discussion sections, tutorials, or laboratory sections, develop teaching materials such as syllabi, visual aids, answer keys, and course websites, evaluate and grade examinations, assignments, and papers and record the grades, and tell students the procedures for completing and submitting class work. They return assignments to students by established deadlines, prepare or proctor examinations, and tutor or mentor students who need additional instruction. Some teach undergraduate-level courses. Graduate students who teach one or more full courses themselves are classified instead with postsecondary teachers, in the 25-1000 group. Alternate titles also include exam proctor and faculty research assistant.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: College Biology Teaching Assistant, Exam Proctor, Faculty Research Assistant, Graduate Assistant, Graduate Fellow.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 164,090 |
| Annual | $28,600 | $35,270 | $42,910 | $60,510 | $76,420 | $47,670 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where teaching assistants, postsecondary earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Maryland | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 5,030 | 1.82 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $40,460 | $52,930 | $58,330 | $64,720 | $75,980 | $59,850 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,040 | 0.84 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $32,890 | $39,260 | $56,370 | $62,690 | $77,920 | $54,020 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 13,540 | 0.96 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $23,660 | $36,270 | $55,670 | $62,390 | $64,160 | $49,560 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,390 | 0.79 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $35,940 | $37,600 | $54,260 | $66,830 | $81,120 | $57,210 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 600 | 0.21 | 0.19 |
| Annual | $24,450 | $42,970 | $53,380 | $59,670 | $61,780 | $51,350 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 19,120 | 1.05 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $35,460 | $37,440 | $49,140 | $64,280 | $77,440 | $53,330 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 18,440 | 4.19 | 3.97 |
| Annual | $33,240 | $33,790 | $39,830 | $65,300 | $76,420 | $49,740 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 17,390 | 1.80 | 1.70 |
| Annual | $34,680 | $37,130 | $43,610 | $62,510 | $75,190 | $49,990 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 13,540 | 0.96 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $23,660 | $36,270 | $55,670 | $62,390 | $64,160 | $49,560 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 12,340 | 2.02 | 1.92 |
| Annual | $31,850 | $35,280 | $36,040 | $59,580 | $96,230 | $49,630 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Canton-Massillon, OH | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 310 | 1.92 | 1.82 |
| Annual | $43,820 | $78,510 | $78,510 | $98,620 | $98,620 | $78,760 | ||||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 100 | 0.25 | 0.24 |
| Annual | $34,010 | $38,450 | $68,230 | $69,150 | $80,290 | $58,910 | ||||
| Syracuse, NY | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $36,780 | $60,770 | $65,670 | $65,670 | $73,350 | $61,350 | ||||
| Lubbock, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,830 | 10.95 | 10.37 |
| Annual | $39,950 | $64,160 | $64,160 | $64,160 | $80,840 | $62,780 | ||||
| Merced, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 100 | 1.25 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $44,600 | $63,220 | $63,220 | $63,220 | $74,600 | $62,340 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Ann Arbor, MI | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 12,860 | 58.51 | 55.45 |
| Annual | $33,790 | $33,790 | $38,990 | $76,420 | $76,420 | $50,510 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 12,430 | 1.31 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $37,120 | $37,130 | $45,100 | $63,810 | $77,270 | $51,420 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 8,860 | 1.96 | 1.86 |
| Annual | $35,280 | $35,310 | $35,760 | $48,240 | $96,850 | $49,140 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 5,990 | 0.96 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $34,360 | $36,600 | $39,940 | $58,190 | $81,450 | $48,880 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 4,800 | 4.44 | 4.21 |
| Annual | $61,780 | $61,780 | $61,780 | $77,440 | $77,440 | $67,480 | ||||
Top industries employing teaching assistants, postsecondary
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 87.7% of teaching assistants, postsecondary nationally (143,910 jobs) at a median $42,420 a year, followed by Junior Colleges (10.7%) and Technical and Trade Schools (0.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 143,910 | 87.7% | $42,420 | * |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 17,580 | 10.7% | $44,790 | * |
| Technical and Trade Schools NAICS 611500 | 880 | 0.5% | $39,620 | * |
| Grantmaking and Giving Services NAICS 813200 | 780 | 0.5% | $38,420 | * |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 360 | 0.2% | $35,530 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (164,090). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $38,040 for teaching assistants, postsecondary in May 2021 and $42,910 in May 2025, with employment of 121,290 and 164,090.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $38,040 | * | 121,290 |
| May 2022 | $38,050 | * | 135,160 |
| May 2023 | $43,750 | * | 145,960 |
| May 2024 | $44,930 | * | 155,010 |
| May 2025 | $42,910 | * | 164,090 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
47 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland profile | * | $58,330 | $40,460 | $75,980 | 5,030 | 1.82 | 1.73 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | * | $56,370 | $32,890 | $77,920 | 3,040 | 0.84 | 0.79 |
| 3 | Texas profile | * | $55,670 | $23,660 | $64,160 | 13,540 | 0.96 | 0.91 |
| 4 | New Jersey profile | * | $54,260 | $35,940 | $81,120 | 3,390 | 0.79 | 0.75 |
| 5 | Minnesota profile | * | $53,380 | $24,450 | $61,780 | 600 | 0.21 | 0.19 |
| 6 | Utah profile | * | $52,300 | $26,730 | $76,910 | 2,020 | 1.16 | 1.10 |
| 7 | Washington profile | * | $50,460 | $34,650 | $64,740 | 1,480 | 0.42 | 0.39 |
| 8 | North Carolina profile | * | $50,050 | $33,130 | $73,980 | 2,900 | 0.59 | 0.56 |
| 9 | North Dakota profile | * | $49,960 | $36,960 | $59,080 | 90 | 0.20 | 0.19 |
| 10 | Oklahoma profile | * | $49,920 | $29,120 | $60,230 | 1,680 | 0.99 | 0.93 |
| 11 | Virginia profile | * | $49,890 | $31,670 | $80,310 | 1,660 | 0.41 | 0.38 |
| 12 | Arizona profile | * | $49,810 | $30,900 | $74,830 | 7,200 | 2.22 | 2.11 |
| 13 | Kentucky profile | * | $49,680 | $31,270 | $80,200 | 990 | 0.50 | 0.47 |
| 14 | Oregon profile | * | $49,550 | $38,970 | $80,570 | 880 | 0.45 | 0.43 |
| 15 | Rhode Island profile | * | $49,420 | $31,200 | $64,880 | 50 | 0.11 | 0.10 |
| 16 | California profile | * | $49,140 | $35,460 | $77,440 | 19,120 | 1.05 | 0.99 |
| 17 | Georgia profile | * | $48,800 | $21,900 | $73,190 | 2,470 | 0.51 | 0.48 |
| 18 | Ohio profile | * | $48,710 | $23,600 | $92,200 | 2,210 | 0.40 | 0.38 |
| 19 | Vermont profile | * | $48,620 | $35,030 | $59,510 | 60 | 0.19 | 0.18 |
| 20 | New Mexico profile | * | $48,270 | $34,400 | $65,100 | 370 | 0.43 | 0.41 |
| 21 | Wisconsin profile | * | $47,990 | $30,670 | $58,740 | 4,210 | 1.43 | 1.36 |
| 22 | Maine profile | * | $47,210 | $36,910 | $74,780 | 90 | 0.14 | 0.13 |
| 23 | South Carolina profile | * | $46,760 | $19,630 | $60,510 | 2,730 | 1.18 | 1.12 |
| 24 | New York profile | * | $43,610 | $34,680 | $75,190 | 17,390 | 1.80 | 1.70 |
| 25 | District of Columbia profile | * | $43,160 | $36,400 | $73,370 | 130 | 0.18 | 0.17 |
| 26 | Kansas profile | * | $41,580 | $16,640 | $57,270 | 640 | 0.45 | 0.42 |
| 27 | South Dakota profile | * | $39,840 | $27,620 | $65,130 | 460 | 1.02 | 0.96 |
| 28 | Michigan profile | * | $39,830 | $33,240 | $76,420 | 18,440 | 4.19 | 3.97 |
| 29 | Nebraska profile | * | $39,650 | $28,080 | $69,680 | 730 | 0.71 | 0.67 |
| 30 | Iowa profile | * | $38,960 | $22,790 | $66,080 | 560 | 0.36 | 0.34 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $38,020 | $21,060 | $60,130 | 2,480 | 0.41 | 0.39 |
| 32 | Louisiana profile | * | $37,950 | $21,380 | $59,880 | 440 | 0.23 | 0.22 |
| 33 | Florida profile | * | $37,770 | $35,080 | $44,270 | 9,130 | 0.92 | 0.87 |
| 34 | Colorado profile | * | $37,450 | $32,430 | $81,240 | 530 | 0.19 | 0.18 |
| 35 | Idaho profile | * | $37,310 | $27,430 | $71,400 | 220 | 0.26 | 0.24 |
| 36 | Tennessee profile | * | $36,950 | $22,580 | $45,270 | 300 | 0.09 | 0.09 |
| 37 | Illinois profile | * | $36,040 | $31,850 | $96,230 | 12,340 | 2.02 | 1.92 |
| 38 | West Virginia profile | * | $35,960 | $28,880 | $36,990 | 40 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| 39 | Alaska profile | * | $35,790 | $31,550 | $40,360 | 70 | 0.23 | 0.22 |
| 40 | Indiana profile | * | $34,910 | $20,850 | $62,290 | 1,940 | 0.61 | 0.58 |
| 41 | Montana profile | * | $30,070 | $21,940 | $61,620 | 380 | 0.75 | 0.71 |
| 42 | New Hampshire profile | * | $26,810 | $22,860 | $48,190 | 480 | 0.70 | 0.66 |
| 43 | Nevada profile | * | $24,960 | $24,960 | $24,960 | 540 | 0.35 | 0.33 |
| 44 | Arkansas profile | * | $23,140 | $22,880 | $35,530 | 2,600 | 1.99 | 1.89 |
| 45 | Alabama profile | * | $22,600 | $17,730 | $37,510 | ** | ** | ** |
| – | Connecticut profile | * | * | * | * | 4,700 | 2.77 | 2.62 |
| – | Mississippi profile | * | * | * | * | 390 | 0.34 | 0.32 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-9040), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 25-9044 Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them. A withheld or top-coded cell in that table shows the marker explained above.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-9044, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-9044.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.