Teaching Assistant Salary by StateBLS figures for teaching assistants (except postsecondary) in K-12 schools
BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS occupation: SOC 25-9045 Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
Teaching assistants (except postsecondary) (SOC 25-9045), the BLS occupation for teaching assistants, earned a median $36,990 a year in elementary and secondary schools, public and private together, in May 2025.
The middle half earned between $31,090 and $45,860.
In privately owned elementary and secondary schools alone (BLS industry 611105, national), the median for teaching assistants (except postsecondary) was $37,090 on 103,670 jobs.
This is the BLS occupation for teaching assistants, except postsecondary (25-9045), in all K-12 schools, public and private together.
In privately owned schools alone, the BLS median for this occupation was $37,090.
BLS publishes this occupation in schools as annual pay only (school-year salaries), so no hourly figure is shown. BLS has no private school or charter school occupation code. The K-12 figures count public district, charter and private schools together; only the privately owned schools figure isolates private schools. OEWS covers wage-and-salary workers only and leaves out the self-employed, overtime pay and most bonuses.
How pay spreads across Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
| Percentile | Annual |
|---|---|
| 10th | $26,950 |
| 25th | $31,090 |
| 50th (median) | $36,990 |
| 75th | $45,860 |
| 90th | $50,850 |
| Mean (average) | $38,600 |
SOC 25-9045 Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary, the BLS occupation for teaching assistants, in elementary and secondary schools (NAICS 611100, public and private): 1,185,500 wage-and-salary jobs, BLS OEWS May 2025. The privately owned schools figure is shown as a median, mean and job count only.
Pay for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary by State
Median annual wage for SOC 25-9045 Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary in each state, BLS OEWS May 2025, alphabetical: all schools, public and private, in each state.
BLS publishes no private school figure by state.
BLS state figures cover every employer of the occupation in the state; nationally, 83% of these jobs are in elementary and secondary schools. "vs. U.S." compares the state median with the national all-employer median of $36,780; it is not adjusted for living costs.
| State | Median | 10th–90th | Jobs | vs. U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $24,070 | $21,440–$30,590 | 10,140 | −35% |
| Alaska | $37,190 | $27,440–$57,210 | 3,810 | +1% |
| Arizona | $35,900 | $30,960–$42,590 | 25,280 | −2% |
| Arkansas | $28,790 | $23,670–$38,360 | 11,270 | −22% |
| California | $46,490 | $37,240–$59,520 | 177,140 | +26% |
| Colorado | $35,760 | $30,800–$48,470 | 21,910 | −3% |
| Connecticut | $38,110 | $34,010–$49,690 | 19,740 | +4% |
| Delaware | $37,830 | $31,200–$47,300 | 5,040 | +3% |
| District of Columbia | $46,920 | $38,370–$58,100 | 3,950 | +28% |
| Florida | $34,430 | $28,490–$40,150 | 54,530 | −6% |
| Georgia | $28,770 | $21,190–$39,120 | 33,410 | −22% |
| Hawaii | $36,810 | $30,130–$46,990 | 5,470 | 0% |
| Idaho | $35,560 | $23,980–$48,800 | 8,710 | −3% |
| Illinois | $36,990 | $31,200–$48,100 | 64,210 | +1% |
| Indiana | $33,300 | $23,970–$44,610 | 28,450 | −9% |
| Iowa | $30,510 | $22,400–$37,520 | 24,520 | −17% |
| Kansas | $29,490 | $21,800–$38,190 | 20,000 | −20% |
| Kentucky | $30,160 | $23,980–$46,370 | 16,330 | −18% |
| Louisiana | $27,400 | $20,680–$38,620 | 14,530 | −26% |
| Maine | $46,750 | $36,210–$56,920 | 8,700 | +27% |
| Maryland | $37,060 | $31,200–$59,680 | 23,340 | +1% |
| Massachusetts | $39,380 | $31,200–$59,970 | 39,210 | +7% |
| Michigan | $35,110 | $27,550–$45,370 | 39,030 | −5% |
| Minnesota | $40,100 | $31,420–$50,410 | 38,540 | +9% |
| Mississippi | $25,840 | $18,830–$32,300 | 9,750 | −30% |
| Missouri | $36,300 | $28,600–$47,310 | 20,930 | −1% |
| Montana | $34,750 | $23,950–$45,430 | 3,930 | −6% |
| Nebraska | $35,160 | $28,080–$45,110 | 11,190 | −4% |
| Nevada | $31,900 | $27,880–$41,640 | 7,100 | −13% |
| New Hampshire | $38,440 | $28,920–$48,780 | 7,880 | +5% |
| New Jersey | $37,290 | $32,220–$49,580 | 55,580 | +1% |
| New Mexico | $35,900 | $27,050–$46,390 | 8,970 | −2% |
| New York | $38,240 | $32,240–$54,990 | 137,820 | +4% |
| North Carolina | $29,790 | $25,110–$38,050 | 32,150 | −19% |
| North Dakota | $38,240 | $29,130–$46,260 | 5,600 | +4% |
| Ohio | $35,920 | $26,810–$46,890 | 47,300 | −2% |
| Oklahoma | $27,920 | $17,940–$37,370 | 13,860 | −24% |
| Oregon | $39,850 | $30,300–$50,860 | 23,030 | +8% |
| Pennsylvania | $34,740 | $23,380–$45,980 | 48,310 | −6% |
| Rhode Island | $37,220 | $31,200–$47,720 | 5,200 | +1% |
| South Carolina | $27,860 | $21,910–$44,290 | 14,410 | −24% |
| South Dakota | $28,220 | $24,800–$35,410 | 4,650 | −23% |
| Tennessee | $29,210 | $22,010–$40,310 | 23,280 | −21% |
| Texas | $29,850 | $22,480–$42,520 | 108,960 | −19% |
| Utah | $37,050 | $27,730–$47,400 | 18,170 | +1% |
| Vermont | $43,800 | $29,140–$51,580 | 4,960 | +19% |
| Virginia | $38,520 | $28,220–$57,030 | 31,370 | +5% |
| Washington | $49,120 | $37,870–$62,810 | 43,420 | +34% |
| West Virginia | $29,800 | $27,400–$36,750 | 5,110 | −19% |
| Wisconsin | $37,800 | $29,060–$46,270 | 26,520 | +3% |
| Wyoming | $36,100 | $27,840–$44,040 | 3,680 | −2% |
Pay by employer
National figures for teaching assistants (except postsecondary) (SOC 25-9045): every employer, then K-12 schools of every ownership, then privately owned K-12 schools only, BLS OEWS May 2025.
BLS publishes no split by type of private school (independent, Catholic, other faith-based) or by employer, so these rows are the narrowest national cuts.
Elementary and secondary schools (NAICS 611100) counts public district, charter and private schools together.
The privately owned schools row is a separate BLS industry series (611105); BLS industry estimates are national only, and this page shows that row as a median, mean and job count (no hourly figure or percentiles).
| Employer | Median | Mean | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries (every employer) | $36,780 | $38,290 | 1,420,350 |
| K-12 schools, public and private (NAICS 611100) | $36,990 | $38,600 | 1,185,500 |
| Privately owned K-12 schools only (BLS industry 611105) | $37,090 | $38,750 | 103,670 |
Job outlook for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
BLS projects employment of teaching assistants (except postsecondary) to decline 0.3%, from about 1,463,000 in 2025 to 1,458,000 in 2035 (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).
The projection covers every employer, public and private, with no split for private schools.
It includes the self-employed and comes from a different BLS program, so it is not directly comparable with the OEWS job counts above.
Pay by school role
BLS publishes wages by occupation, not job title, and has no private school or charter school code.
Teaching assistants and substitute teachers have a BLS occupation of their own.
Classroom and special education teachers, counselors, librarians and office staff are counted in broader groups.
Heads of school, instructional coaches and school nurses borrow the closest available occupation, labelled in the last column.
Compare figures with the same basis only.
| Role | Median, all K-12 schools | Median, privately owned schools | What the number is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private School Teacher | $63,980 | $58,140 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 25-2021) |
| Special Education Teacher | $65,080 | $61,030 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 25-2052) |
| Teaching Assistant | $36,990 | $37,090 | BLS occupation (SOC 25-9045) |
| Substitute Teacher | $42,890 | $36,210 | BLS occupation (SOC 25-3031) |
| Head of School | $105,840 | $98,020 | Closest available occupation, a stand-in (SOC 11-9032) |
| Instructional Coach | $81,050 | $68,290 | Closest available occupation (SOC 25-9031) |
| School Counselor | $76,760 | $62,190 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 21-1012) |
| School Nurse | $69,340 | $74,090 | Closest available occupation (SOC 29-1141) |
| School Librarian | $74,130 | $59,460 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 25-4022) |
| School Administrative Assistant | $47,050 | $46,020 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 43-6014) |
Teaching Assistant salary questions
01How much do teaching assistants make a year?
The median annual wage for teaching assistants (except postsecondary) (SOC 25-9045), the BLS occupation for teaching assistants, in elementary and secondary schools, public and private together, was $36,990 in May 2025 (BLS OEWS).
The 10th percentile was $26,950 and the 90th percentile $50,850.
In privately owned schools alone, the median was $37,090.
02Which state pays teaching assistants the most?
For teaching assistants (except postsecondary), counting every employer in the state (public and private schools together), Washington had the highest median in May 2025 at $49,120.
Alabama had the lowest at $24,070.
These are not adjusted for living costs, and BLS publishes no private school figure by state; the state table above lists every state BLS published.
03What is the average teaching assistant salary?
The mean (average) annual wage for teaching assistants (except postsecondary) in K-12 schools, public and private, was $38,600 in May 2025, against a $36,990 median.
In privately owned schools alone the mean was $38,750.
The median is the better guide to a typical salary, because a smaller number of high earners pull the average up.
04Is demand for teaching assistants growing?
BLS projects employment of teaching assistants (except postsecondary) to decline 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, from about 1,463,000 to 1,458,000 jobs, with about 176,200 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).
Those projections cover every employer, public and private, include the self-employed and come from a different BLS program, so they are not directly comparable with the OEWS job counts on this page.
05How does pay in privately owned schools compare?
The privately owned schools median was higher on the May 2025 BLS figures: $37,090 in privately owned schools against $36,990 in all K-12 schools.
BLS publishes privately owned elementary and secondary schools as a separate national industry series (611105); the all-schools figure counts public district, charter and private schools together, so it includes the private schools.
BLS publishes no private school figure by state.