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Salary comparison

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

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Educations out-earn Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys by $28K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Educations land at $64,370 and Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys at $36,780. The education gap is real: middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education programs typically require bachelor's degree, while teaching assistants, except postsecondary programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Educations is Washington ($102,140); for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys it's Washington ($49,120).

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
Median salary
$64,370
$36,780
Hourly rate
$null/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$48,080
$27,150
Senior level (90th %)
$102,540
$50,040
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
620,090
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 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education median pay.

State
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary
Washington
$102,140
$49,120
California
$98,950
$46,490
New York
$94,840
$38,240
Connecticut
$93,610
$38,110
Massachusetts
$89,450
$39,380
District of Columbia
$79,900
$46,920
Oregon
$78,350
$39,850
Vermont
$73,940
$43,800
New Hampshire
$71,140
$38,440
Delaware
$67,780
$37,830
Maine
$63,590
$46,750
Virginia
$63,520
$38,520
Minnesota
$62,640
$40,100
Wisconsin
$61,960
$37,800
North Dakota
$60,100
$38,240

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Educations or Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys?

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Educations earn more nationally. The median is $64,370 for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Educations versus $36,780 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys, a difference of $28K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

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

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical 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 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Educations get paid the most?

Washington is the top-paying state for Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Educations at $102,140/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

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

The gap varies significantly by state. In Washington, Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Educations earn $102,140 vs. $49,120 for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondarys. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

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