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Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School vs. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary: Who Earns More?

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle Schools out-earn Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys by $28K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle Schools land at $65,030 and Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys at $36,780. The education gap is real: career/technical education teachers, middle school programs typically require bachelor's degree, while teaching assistants, except postsecondary programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle Schools is Washington ($103,290); for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys it's Washington ($49,120).

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
Median salary
$65,030
$36,780
Hourly rate
$null/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$49,200
$27,150
Senior level (90th %)
$101,890
$50,040
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
16,870
1,420,350
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Education
Education
Top-paying state
Washington
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School median pay.

State
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
Washington
$103,290
$49,120
Rhode Island
$97,240
$37,220
Connecticut
$95,680
$38,110
Massachusetts
$93,260
$39,380
Utah
$86,890
$37,050
New York
$86,450
$38,240
Maryland
$84,160
$37,060
Minnesota
$81,460
$40,100
Illinois
$80,700
$36,990
Wisconsin
$76,860
$37,800
New Jersey
$68,280
$37,290
Virginia
$67,460
$38,520
Wyoming
$62,710
$36,100
Missouri
$52,630
$36,300
North Dakota
$46,530
$38,240

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle Schools or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys?

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle Schools earn more nationally. The median is $65,030 for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle Schools versus $36,780 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys, a difference of $28K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary?

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School typically requires bachelor's degree. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle Schools get paid the most?

Washington is the top-paying state for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle Schools at $103,290/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School vs. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Washington, Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle Schools earn $103,290 vs. $49,120 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School salary breakdownView →Full Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary breakdownView →Best cities for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle Schools by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys by take-home payExplore →How to become a career/technical education teachers, middle schoolGuide →How to become a teaching assistants, except postsecondaryGuide →