How Much Does a Teaching Assistant Make in 2025?
Teaching assistants are responsible for partnering with one or more teachers to prepare lessons and instruct students. They engage with students individually or in small groups to answer questions and facilitate activities.
Moreover, they assist teachers in resolving classroom issues and conflicts, as well as monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating the performance of students.
Below is an overview of the pay for teaching assistants, including salary ranges, averages, and factors that affect their pay.
What is the Teaching Assistant Salary?
As of July 5 2025, the average salary of teaching assistants in the United States is $35,700 per year and $17 per hour, with rates ranging from $14 to $20.
2025 Teaching Assistant Average Salary: $35,700 per year ($17 per hour)
Meanwhile, the average weekly and monthly salaries for teaching assistants are $687 and $2,975, respectively.
What is the Pay Range for a Teaching Assistant?
According to Salary.com report, the salary range for teaching assistants starts at $28,440 and can reach as high as $41,622 per year, with most earning between $31,900 and $38,800. The salary range is affected by factors like education, level of experience, and geographic location.
Teaching Assistant Salary Range: $28,440 to $41,622 per year ($14 to $20 per hour)
| Percentile | By Hour | By Week | By Month | By Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $14 | $547 | $2,370 | $28,440 |
| 25th Percentile | $15 | $613 | $2,658 | $31,900 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $17 | $687 | $2,975 | $35,700 |
| 75th Percentile | $19 | $746 | $3,233 | $38,800 |
| 90th Percentile | $20 | $800 | $3,469 | $41,622 |
Teaching Assistant Salary Factors
Experience level, place of employment, and skills are important factors that can affect the pay for teaching assistants. Here are the effects of these factors:
Years of Experience
The pay of teaching assistants increases as the experience level advances. An entry-level teaching assistant earns $33,999. A senior teaching assistant gets paid $35,700, while an expert level with over 8 years of experience gets paid $37,345 on average.
| Levels | Years of Experience | Average Salary per year |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Teaching Assistant | <1 | $33,999 |
| Intermediate Level Teaching Assistant | 1-2 | $34,482 |
| Senior Level Teaching Assistant | 2-4 | $35,700 |
| Specialist Level Teaching Assistant | 5-8 | $36,782 |
| Expert Level Teaching Assistant | 8+ | $37,345 |
Place of Work
According to BLS, teaching assistants working in private elementary and secondary schools earn up to 7% more than those working in child daycare services in 2024.
| Place of work | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Elementary and secondary schools; private | $35,830 |
| Elementary and secondary schools; local | $35,360 |
| Child daycare services | $33,470 |
Skill Set
Teaching assistants with more acquired skills get higher pay. Data from Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report suggests that staff training skills can give the highest pay increase of 8.83%, followed by child development skills with 7.71%.
Some important skills with higher salary increase also include childcare, first aid, behavior management, and classroom management.
| Skill | Demand | Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Training | 4.57% | +8.83% |
| Child Development | 15.13% | +7.71% |
| Childcare | 16.69% | +7.23% |
| First Aid | 21.90% | +6.23% |
| Behavior Management | 8.55% | +4.60% |
| Classroom Management | 22.62% | +4.42% |
Teaching Assistant Salary by City and State
The salary of teaching assistants varies in individual cities and states of the US. This is because geographic location affects pay through the local economy, cost of living, and industry presence.
Highest Paying States for Teaching Assistant
Based on Salary.com’s salary data, the District of Columbia offers the highest average wage for teaching assistants in the United States, at $39,500 per year.
- District of Columbia: $39,500 (or $19 per hour)
- California: $39,400 (or $19 per hour)
- Massachusetts: $38,800 (or $19 per hour)
- New Jersey: $38,700 (or $19 per hour)
- Washington: $38,700 (or $19 per hour)
Teaching Assistant Salary by State
| State | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $38,600 |
| Alabama | $32,800 |
| Arkansas | $32,200 |
| Arizona | $34,800 |
| California | $39,400 |
| Colorado | $36,400 |
| Connecticut | $38,100 |
| District of Columbia | $39,500 |
| Delaware | $36,100 |
| Florida | $33,800 |
| Georgia | $34,400 |
| Hawaii | $37,300 |
| Iowa | $34,200 |
| Idaho | $33,300 |
| Illinois | $36,400 |
| Indiana | $34,300 |
| Kansas | $34,000 |
| Kentucky | $33,600 |
| Louisiana | $33,900 |
| Massachusetts | $38,800 |
| Maryland | $36,800 |
| Maine | $34,800 |
| Michigan | $35,100 |
| Minnesota | $36,500 |
| Missouri | $33,900 |
| Mississippi | $31,800 |
| Montana | $33,700 |
| North Carolina | $33,900 |
| North Dakota | $35,200 |
| Nebraska | $33,600 |
| New Hampshire | $36,100 |
| New Jersey | $38,700 |
| New Mexico | $33,100 |
| Nevada | $35,300 |
| New York | $37,900 |
| Ohio | $34,700 |
| Oklahoma | $33,000 |
| Oregon | $36,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,500 |
| Rhode Island | $37,000 |
| South Carolina | $33,400 |
| South Dakota | $32,400 |
| Tennessee | $33,300 |
| Texas | $34,800 |
| Utah | $34,200 |
| Virginia | $35,900 |
| Vermont | $35,000 |
| Washington | $38,700 |
| Wisconsin | $35,100 |
| West Virginia | $32,100 |
| Wyoming | $34,200 |
Highest Paying Cities for Teaching Assistant
Salary.com also reported that the city of San Jose, California is the highest-paying city for teaching assistants with $45,000 per year or $51 per hour.
- San Jose, California: $45,000 (or $22 per hour)
- San Francisco, California: $44,600 (or $21 per hour)
- Oakland, California: $43,600 (or $21 per hour)
- New York, New York: $41,300 (or $20 per hour)
- Queens Village, New York: $41,100 (or $20 per hour)
Ways to Increase Your Salary as a Teaching Assistant
Teaching assistants usually require completion of at least 2 years of college coursework or an associate’s degree while some have a bachelor’s degree in fields like education and psychology. Teaching assistants can increase their salaries in various ways. Here is a rundown of significant ways they can raise their pay:
- Enhancing more skills. Some important skills that will help increase a teaching assistant’s salary are staff training, child development, childcare, first aid, behavior management, and classroom management.
- Getting certification. Being certified with top teacher assistant certifications, such as Certified Teacher Assistant (CTA), Teaching Assistant Diploma, or Teacher’s Aide/Assistant Certificate will help in validating the skills and knowledge, helping teaching assistants stand out among others and can be an advantage in salary negotiations.
- Accessing high-paying industries. For teaching assistants, these are some of the highest paying workplaces:
- Technical and trade schools
- Scientific research and development services
- General medical and surgical hospitals
- Junior colleges
- Colleges, universities, and professional schools
Average National Salaries by Source
As of July 5, 2025, the following are the reported national average salaries for teaching assistants from five top salary-reporting sites, averaging $41,680.60 (unweighted) across these sources.
SALARY.COM AVG. SALARY
$35,700/year
TALENT.COM AVG. SALARY
$53,810/year
GLASSDOOR AVG. SALARY
$40,172/year
COMPARABLY AVG. SALARY
$46,149/year
ZIPRECRUITER AVG. SALARY
$32,572/year
