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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 Schools out-earn Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys by $29K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary Schools land at $66,270 and Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys 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 Schools is Washington ($101,180); for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys 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)
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, 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 Schools or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys?

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary Schools earn more nationally. The median is $66,270 for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary Schools versus $36,780 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys, 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?

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, 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 Schools get paid the most?

Washington is the top-paying state for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary Schools 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 Schools earn $101,180 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, Secondary School salary breakdownView →Full Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary breakdownView →Best cities for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary Schools by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys by take-home payExplore →How to become a career/technical education teachers, secondary schoolGuide →How to become a teaching assistants, except postsecondaryGuide →