Skip to content
AffordMap
Salary comparison

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors vs. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary: Who Earns More?

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors out-earn Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary by $25K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors land at $61,540 and Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary at $36,780. The education gap is real: adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructor programs typically require bachelor's degree, while teaching assistants, except postsecondary programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors is California ($102,030); for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary it's Washington ($49,120).

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
Median salary
$61,540
$36,780
Hourly rate
$29.59/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$41,810
$27,150
Senior level (90th %)
$98,030
$50,040
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
37,310
1,420,350
Job growth (10-year)
-13.7%
-1.5%
Category
Education
Education
Top-paying state
California
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors median pay.

State
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
California
$102,030
$46,490
Delaware
$78,600
$37,830
New York
$78,010
$38,240
Minnesota
$76,800
$40,100
Connecticut
$72,180
$38,110
Washington
$69,990
$49,120
Oregon
$65,700
$39,850
Wisconsin
$64,980
$37,800
Virginia
$64,540
$38,520
New Hampshire
$64,440
$38,440
North Dakota
$63,820
$38,240
District of Columbia
$62,940
$46,920
Vermont
$62,500
$43,800
Massachusetts
$62,290
$39,380
Maine
$58,880
$46,750

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary?

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors earn more nationally. The median is $61,540 for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors versus $36,780 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary, a difference of $25K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary?

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary has the better 10-year outlook at -1.5% projected growth, compared to -13.7% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary?

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors typically requires bachelor's degree. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors get paid the most?

California is the top-paying state for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors at $102,030/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors vs. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In California, Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors earn $102,030 vs. $46,490 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors salary breakdownView →Full Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary breakdownView →Best cities for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary by take-home payExplore →How to become a adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructorsGuide →How to become a teaching assistants, except postsecondaryGuide →