Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary · SOC 25-9044
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondarys
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas
Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for teaching assistants, postsecondary. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Top 25 of 141 metro areas
| # | Metro area | Median annual | Employment | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $78,510 | 310 | 1.9 |
| 2 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $68,230 | 100 | 0.3 |
| 3 | Syracuse, NY | $65,670 | Not published | Not published |
| 4 | Lubbock, TX | $64,160 | 1,830 | 10.9 |
| 5 | Merced, CA | $63,220 | 100 | 1.2 |
| 6 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $61,780 | 4,800 | 4.4 |
| 7 | Flagstaff, AZ | $61,730 | 120 | 1.8 |
| 8 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $61,540 | 330 | 0.6 |
| 9 | Duluth, MN-WI | $60,470 | 40 | 0.3 |
| 10 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $60,210 | Not published | Not published |
| 11 | Bellingham, WA | $59,240 | 30 | 0.3 |
| 12 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $58,330 | 4,290 | 1.4 |
| 13 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $57,930 | 1,290 | 1.6 |
| 14 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $57,790 | 4,370 | 32.6 |
| 15 | Toledo, OH | $54,390 | 160 | 0.5 |
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $52,660 | 470 | 0.2 |
| 17 | Appleton, WI | $51,500 | 90 | 0.7 |
| 18 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $51,230 | 90 | 0.1 |
| 19 | Springfield, MO | $50,920 | 670 | 3.0 |
| 20 | Albuquerque, NM | $50,820 | 260 | 0.6 |
| 21 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $50,820 | 2,110 | 9.7 |
| 22 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $50,640 | 290 | 1.0 |
| 23 | Boise City, ID | $50,540 | Not published | Not published |
| 24 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $50,450 | 90 | 0.2 |
| 25 | Richmond, VA | $50,360 | 210 | 0.3 |
Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.