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Graduate Teaching Assistant Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of graduate teaching assistants are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of graduate teaching assistants within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The graduate teaching assistants annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Graduate Teaching Assistant Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$18,320
25th Percentile Wage
$21,640
50th Percentile Wage
$33,700
75th Percentile Wage
$46,670
90th Percentile Wage
$59,290

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for graduate teaching assistants. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) graduate teaching assistants is $59,290. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $33,700. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $18,320. Note that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 223% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of graduate teaching assistants from 2012 to 2018.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth6-Year Growth
2018
$33,700
3.68% 7.21%
2017
$32,460
-5.48% -
2016
$34,240
10.02% -
2015
$30,810
-2.47% -
2014
$31,570
5.13% -
2013
$29,950
-4.41% -
2012
$31,270
- -

Table 2. Graduate Teaching Assistant Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of graduate teaching assistants in 5 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for graduate teaching assistants occupations is the other services (except federal, state, and local government) sector with an annual salary $38,680. The lowest paying sector is the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector (annual salary $27,630).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)
$38,680
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$33,700
Health Care and Social Assistance
$33,680
Educational Services
$33,680
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
$27,630

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Graduate Teaching Assistants by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only graduate teaching assistants salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of graduate teaching assistants in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $18,120 to $56,640. The highest paying state for graduate teaching assistants is Massachusetts with a median annual salary of $56,640. The lowest paying state is Rhode Island with a median annual salary of $18,120. For more salary information of graduate teaching assistants profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
Massachusetts
$56,640
Washington
$52,840
Minnesota
$48,910
Utah
$46,780
Maryland
$46,680
Nebraska
$45,040
Wyoming
$44,490
Ohio
$44,030
Mississippi
$41,450
Pennsylvania
$41,000
Hawaii
$40,720
Arizona
$38,860
Kansas
$38,420
Indiana
$38,410
Illinois
$37,740
Oregon
$37,160
Colorado
$35,900
Wisconsin
$35,800
New York
$35,690
Virginia
$35,540
California
$35,310
Puerto Rico
$34,760
Texas
$34,740
North Dakota
$34,430
New Jersey
$33,940
North Carolina
$33,720
South Carolina
$33,650
South Dakota
$31,750
District of Columbia
$30,870
Vermont
$30,820
Michigan
$30,130
Missouri
$28,100
Iowa
$28,050
Idaho
$24,390
Louisiana
$23,590
Maine
$23,070
Kentucky
$20,930
Connecticut
$20,020
New Mexico
$19,600
Oklahoma
$19,510
Arkansas
$19,330
Georgia
$19,260
West Virginia
$19,170
Nevada
$19,140
Florida
$19,040
Alabama
$18,790
Montana
$18,510
Tennessee
$18,400
Rhode Island
$18,120