Pay by state · 46 states
Teaching Assistant, Postsecondary Salary by State (2026)
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary earn the most in Maryland at $58,330 a year and the least in Alabama at $22,600 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $42,910. All 46 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $58,330Maryland
- National median
- $42,910BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $22,600Alabama
- States reporting
- 46of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Teaching Assistant, Postsecondary salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of teaching assistants, postsecondary OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MDMaryland | $58,330 | $52,930 | $64,720 | 5,030 | $55,574 |
| 2 | MAMassachusetts | $56,370 | $39,260 | $62,690 | 3,040 | $53,301 |
| 3 | TXTexas | $55,670 | $36,270 | $62,390 | 13,540 | $57,358 |
| 4 | NJNew Jersey | $54,260 | $37,600 | $66,830 | 3,390 | $49,869 |
| 5 | MNMinnesota | $53,380 | $42,970 | $59,670 | 600 | $54,126 |
| 6 | UTUtah | $52,300 | $28,810 | $57,930 | 2,020 | $52,901 |
| 7 | WAWashington | $50,460 | $40,570 | $61,010 | 1,480 | $47,153 |
| 8 | NCNorth Carolina | $50,050 | $39,510 | $59,650 | 2,900 | $53,061 |
| 9 | NDNorth Dakota | $49,960 | $47,820 | $59,080 | 90 | $56,161 |
| 10 | OKOklahoma | $49,920 | $32,550 | $49,920 | 1,680 | $56,829 |
| 11 | VAVirginia | $49,890 | $36,140 | $64,760 | 1,660 | $49,345 |
| 12 | AZArizona | $49,810 | $35,330 | $61,730 | 7,200 | $49,475 |
| 13 | KYKentucky | $49,680 | $38,810 | $50,640 | 990 | $55,103 |
| 14 | OROregon | $49,550 | $40,840 | $65,230 | 880 | $47,939 |
| 15 | RIRhode Island | $49,420 | $31,200 | $63,510 | 50 | $48,318 |
| 16 | CACalifornia | $49,140 | $37,440 | $64,280 | 19,120 | $44,382 |
| 17 | GAGeorgia | $48,800 | $29,260 | $51,340 | 2,470 | $50,679 |
| 18 | OHOhio | $48,710 | $39,500 | $77,890 | 2,210 | $52,504 |
| 19 | VTVermont | $48,620 | $44,060 | $59,510 | 60 | $49,634 |
| 20 | NMNew Mexico | $48,270 | $38,520 | $61,700 | 370 | $52,347 |
| 21 | WIWisconsin | $47,990 | $45,030 | $47,990 | 4,210 | $51,002 |
| 22 | PRPuerto Rico | $47,440 | $38,240 | $56,670 | 1,640 | N/A |
| 23 | MEMaine | $47,210 | $41,640 | $63,680 | 90 | $48,645 |
| 24 | SCSouth Carolina | $46,760 | $29,260 | $58,120 | 2,730 | $49,878 |
| 25 | NYNew York | $43,610 | $37,130 | $62,510 | 17,390 | $40,409 |
| 26 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $43,160 | $37,180 | $62,890 | 130 | $39,272 |
| 27 | KSKansas | $41,580 | $30,260 | $49,310 | 640 | $46,165 |
| 28 | SDSouth Dakota | $39,840 | $29,130 | $50,620 | 460 | $44,973 |
| 29 | MIMichigan | $39,830 | $33,790 | $65,300 | 18,440 | $41,396 |
| 30 | NENebraska | $39,650 | $28,870 | $50,490 | 730 | $44,005 |
| 31 | IAIowa | $38,960 | $26,970 | $56,410 | 560 | $44,393 |
| 32 | PAPennsylvania | $38,020 | $31,500 | $47,900 | 2,480 | $38,966 |
| 33 | LALouisiana | $37,950 | $27,150 | $49,340 | 440 | $43,024 |
| 34 | FLFlorida | $37,770 | $36,080 | $38,260 | 9,130 | $36,523 |
| 35 | COColorado | $37,450 | $37,450 | $49,430 | 530 | $36,341 |
| 36 | IDIdaho | $37,310 | $29,270 | $50,900 | 220 | $39,071 |
| 37 | TNTennessee | $36,950 | $27,230 | $38,120 | 300 | $40,220 |
| 38 | ILIllinois | $36,040 | $35,280 | $59,580 | 12,340 | $36,055 |
| 39 | WVWest Virginia | $35,960 | $33,730 | $35,960 | 40 | $40,180 |
| 40 | AKAlaska | $35,790 | $31,940 | $39,870 | 70 | $34,965 |
| 41 | INIndiana | $34,910 | $27,900 | $47,470 | 1,940 | $37,405 |
| 42 | MTMontana | $30,070 | $23,460 | $47,410 | 380 | $31,771 |
| 43 | NHNew Hampshire | $26,810 | $23,080 | $27,640 | 480 | $25,738 |
| 44 | NVNevada | $24,960 | $24,960 | $24,960 | 540 | $24,965 |
| 45 | ARArkansas | $23,140 | $23,140 | $28,520 | 2,600 | $26,617 |
| 46 | ALAlabama | $22,600 | $19,550 | $29,070 | N/A | $25,444 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary, that changes the ranking: Maryland leads on raw pay at $58,330, while Texas leads once prices are taken into account at $57,358.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Teaching Assistant, Postsecondary pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary the most?
Maryland reports the highest median wage for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary at $58,330 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Massachusetts ($56,370) and Texas ($55,670).
Which state pays Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary the least?
Alabama reports the lowest median for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary at $22,600 a year, $35,730 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Texas first at $57,358 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $55,670. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.