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Salary comparison

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

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School out-earn Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary by $29K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School land at $66,270 and Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary at $36,780. The education gap is real: career/technical education teachers, secondary 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, Secondary School is Washington ($101,180); for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary it's Washington ($49,120).

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
Median salary
$66,270
$36,780
Hourly rate
$null/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$50,040
$27,150
Senior level (90th %)
$101,340
$50,040
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
111,420
1,420,350
Job growth (10-year)
-1.8%
-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, Secondary School median pay.

State
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
Washington
$101,180
$49,120
Connecticut
$100,810
$38,110
Massachusetts
$98,020
$39,380
New Jersey
$83,770
$37,290
California
$80,620
$46,490
New York
$79,820
$38,240
Delaware
$79,230
$37,830
Vermont
$79,220
$43,800
Oregon
$78,380
$39,850
Maine
$78,050
$46,750
New Hampshire
$76,320
$38,440
Virginia
$75,580
$38,520
Wisconsin
$74,310
$37,800
Minnesota
$71,650
$40,100
North Dakota
$61,500
$38,240

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary?

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School earn more nationally. The median is $66,270 for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School versus $36,780 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary, a difference of $29K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

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

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary has the better 10-year outlook at -1.5% projected growth, compared to -1.8% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

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

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary 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, Secondary School get paid the most?

Washington is the top-paying state for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School at $101,180/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, Secondary School vs. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Washington, Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School earn $101,180 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, Secondary School salary breakdownView →Full Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary breakdownView →Best cities for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary by take-home payExplore →How to become a career/technical education teachers, secondary schoolGuide →How to become a teaching assistants, except postsecondaryGuide →