Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary Salary
In Cedar Rapids, IA, teaching assistants, postsecondaries earn $49,340 at the median. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers.
So what does $49K get you in Cedar Rapids?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cedar Rapids’s Regional Price Parity (89). 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, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids sits well above the national pay line for teaching assistants, postsecondary, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $43K. Rent runs $956/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for teaching assistants, postsecondaries in metros near Cedar Rapids, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $31K | , |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $50K | , |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $36K | , |
| Champaign-Urbana | $50K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cedar Rapids, IA
Entry-level teaching assistants, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $58K | +36% | 5,030 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | +31% | 3,040 |
| Texas | $56K | +30% | 13,540 |
| New Jersey | $54K | +26% | 3,390 |
| Minnesota | $53K | +24% | 600 |
| Utah | $52K | +22% | 2,020 |
| Washington | $50K | +18% | 1,480 |
| North Carolina | $50K | +17% | 2,900 |
| North Dakota | $50K | +16% | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | +16% | 1,680 |
| Virginia | $50K | +16% | 1,660 |
| Arizona | $50K | +16% | 7,200 |
| Kentucky | $50K | +16% | 990 |
| Oregon | $50K | +15% | 880 |
| Rhode Island | $49K | +15% | 50 |
| California | $49K | +15% | 19,120 |
| Georgia | $49K | +14% | 2,470 |
| Ohio | $49K | +14% | 2,210 |
| Vermont | $49K | +13% | 60 |
| New Mexico | $48K | +12% | 370 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | +12% | 4,210 |
| Maine | $47K | +10% | 90 |
| South Carolina | $47K | +9% | 2,730 |
| New York | $44K | +2% | 17,390 |
| District of Columbia | $43K | +1% | 130 |
| Kansas | $42K | -3% | 640 |
| South Dakota | $40K | -7% | 460 |
| Michigan | $40K | -7% | 18,440 |
| Nebraska | $40K | -8% | 730 |
| Iowa | $39K | -9% | 560 |
| Pennsylvania | $38K | -11% | 2,480 |
| Louisiana | $38K | -12% | 440 |
| Florida | $38K | -12% | 9,130 |
| Colorado | $37K | -13% | 530 |
| Idaho | $37K | -13% | 220 |
| Tennessee | $37K | -14% | 300 |
| Illinois | $36K | -16% | 12,340 |
| West Virginia | $36K | -16% | 40 |
| Alaska | $36K | -17% | 70 |
| Indiana | $35K | -19% | 1,940 |
| Montana | $30K | -30% | 380 |
| New Hampshire | $27K | -38% | 480 |
| Nevada | $25K | -42% | 540 |
| Arkansas | $23K | -46% | 2,600 |
| Alabama | $23K | -47% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 45 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track teaching assistants, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Cedar Rapids numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a teaching assistants, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cedar Rapids?
Yes — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 29.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $956/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for teaching assistants, postsecondaries in Cedar Rapids?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new teaching assistants, postsecondaries typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,267/month. At HUD’s $956/month FMR, rent would take 42% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is teaching assistants, postsecondary a high-paying job in Cedar Rapids?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $49K here vs. $43K nationally.
How does Cedar Rapids compare to the national average for teaching assistants, postsecondaries?
Cedar Rapids pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do teaching assistants, postsecondaries make in Cedar Rapids, IA?
The median is $49,340 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,780, and experienced teaching assistants, postsecondaries can clear $75,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Cedar Rapids?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,275/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $956/month, which eats 29.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a teaching assistants, postsecondary salary go in Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median teaching assistants, postsecondary salary is worth about $55,438 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do teaching assistants, 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.