Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary Salary
In Las Cruces, NM, teaching assistants, except postsecondaries earn $40,930 at the median. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.21), which stretches that salary to about $45,372 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,042/month, about 37.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $41K get you in Las Cruces?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Cruces’s Regional Price Parity (90.21). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About teaching assistants, except postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Las Cruces
Las Cruces sits well above the national pay line for teaching assistants, except postsecondary, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,042/month, which is 36.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for teaching assistants, except postsecondaries in metros near Las Cruces, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $32K | $34K |
| Farmington | $40K | $46K |
| Santa Fe | $35K | $36K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $31K | $31K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Las Cruces, NM
Entry-level teaching assistants, except postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $49K | +34% | 43,420 |
| District of Columbia | $47K | +28% | 3,950 |
| Maine | $47K | +27% | 8,700 |
| California | $46K | +26% | 177,140 |
| Vermont | $44K | +19% | 4,960 |
| Minnesota | $40K | +9% | 38,540 |
| Oregon | $40K | +8% | 23,030 |
| Massachusetts | $39K | +7% | 39,210 |
| Virginia | $39K | +5% | 31,370 |
| New Hampshire | $38K | +5% | 7,880 |
| New York | $38K | +4% | 137,820 |
| North Dakota | $38K | +4% | 5,600 |
| Connecticut | $38K | +4% | 19,740 |
| Delaware | $38K | +3% | 5,040 |
| Wisconsin | $38K | +3% | 26,520 |
| New Jersey | $37K | +1% | 55,580 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | +1% | 5,200 |
| Alaska | $37K | +1% | 3,810 |
| Maryland | $37K | +1% | 23,340 |
| Utah | $37K | +1% | 18,170 |
| Illinois | $37K | +1% | 64,210 |
| Hawaii | $37K | +0% | 5,470 |
| Missouri | $36K | -1% | 20,930 |
| Wyoming | $36K | -2% | 3,680 |
| Ohio | $36K | -2% | 47,300 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -2% | 8,970 |
| Arizona | $36K | -2% | 25,280 |
| Colorado | $36K | -3% | 21,910 |
| Idaho | $36K | -3% | 8,710 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -4% | 11,190 |
| Michigan | $35K | -5% | 39,030 |
| Montana | $35K | -6% | 3,930 |
| Pennsylvania | $35K | -6% | 48,310 |
| Florida | $34K | -6% | 54,530 |
| Indiana | $33K | -9% | 28,450 |
| Nevada | $32K | -13% | 7,100 |
| Iowa | $31K | -17% | 24,520 |
| Kentucky | $30K | -18% | 16,330 |
| Texas | $30K | -19% | 108,960 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -19% | 5,110 |
| North Carolina | $30K | -19% | 32,150 |
| Kansas | $29K | -20% | 20,000 |
| Tennessee | $29K | -21% | 23,280 |
| Arkansas | $29K | -22% | 11,270 |
| Georgia | $29K | -22% | 33,410 |
| South Dakota | $28K | -23% | 4,650 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -24% | 13,860 |
| South Carolina | $28K | -24% | 14,410 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -26% | 14,530 |
| Mississippi | $26K | -30% | 9,750 |
| Alabama | $24K | -35% | 10,140 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track teaching assistants, except postsecondary salary changes
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Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a teaching assistants, except postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Las Cruces?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 36.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,042/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for teaching assistants, except postsecondaries in Las Cruces?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new teaching assistants, except postsecondaries typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,617/month. At HUD’s $1,042/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is teaching assistants, except postsecondary a high-paying job in Las Cruces?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $41K here vs. $37K nationally.
How does Las Cruces compare to the national average for teaching assistants, except postsecondaries?
Las Cruces pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do teaching assistants, except postsecondaries make in Las Cruces, NM?
The median is $40,930 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,950, and experienced teaching assistants, except postsecondaries can clear $46,390. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Las Cruces?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,826/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,042/month, which eats 36.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a teaching assistants, except postsecondary salary go in Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has a Regional Price Parity of 90.21 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median teaching assistants, except postsecondary salary is worth about $45,372 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do teaching assistants, except postsecondaries get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.