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Salary comparison

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

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School out-earn Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary by $28K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School land at $65,030 and Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 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 School is Washington ($103,290); for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 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)
-2%
-1.5%
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 School or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary?

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School earn more nationally. The median is $65,030 for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School versus $36,780 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary, 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?

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary has the better 10-year outlook at -1.5% projected growth, compared to -2% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

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 School get paid the most?

Washington is the top-paying state for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School 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 School earn $103,290 vs. $49,120 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary. 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 School by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary by take-home payExplore →How to become a career/technical education teachers, middle schoolGuide →How to become a teaching assistants, except postsecondaryGuide →