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Salary comparison

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education vs. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary: Who Earns More?

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations out-earn Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys by $26K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations land at $62,680 and Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys at $36,780. The education gap is real: kindergarten teachers, except special education programs typically require bachelor's degree, while teaching assistants, except postsecondary programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations is Washington ($99,960); for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys it's Washington ($49,120).

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
Median salary
$62,680
$36,780
Hourly rate
$null/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$46,990
$27,150
Senior level (90th %)
$101,830
$50,040
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
108,870
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 Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education median pay.

State
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
Washington
$99,960
$49,120
Connecticut
$90,030
$38,110
Massachusetts
$84,100
$39,380
California
$82,550
$46,490
District of Columbia
$81,500
$46,920
New York
$77,630
$38,240
Minnesota
$75,500
$40,100
Delaware
$74,030
$37,830
Oregon
$68,580
$39,850
Virginia
$63,920
$38,520
Vermont
$63,280
$43,800
New Hampshire
$60,240
$38,440
North Dakota
$59,420
$38,240
Wisconsin
$59,350
$37,800
Maine
$52,660
$46,750

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys?

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations earn more nationally. The median is $62,680 for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations versus $36,780 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys, a difference of $26K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education 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, Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary?

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education typically requires bachelor's degree. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations get paid the most?

Washington is the top-paying state for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations at $99,960/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education vs. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Washington, Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations earn $99,960 vs. $49,120 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education salary breakdownView →Full Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary breakdownView →Best cities for Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Educations by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys by take-home payExplore →How to become a kindergarten teachers, except special educationGuide →How to become a teaching assistants, except postsecondaryGuide →