Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary Salary
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, teaching assistants, postsecondaries earn $50,450 at the median. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $55,016 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 39.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines
Des Moines-West Des Moines sits well above the national pay line for teaching assistants, postsecondary, local pay runs about 18% higher than the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 39.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% 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, postsecondaries in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $31K | $35K |
| Cedar Rapids | $49K | $55K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $36K | $35K |
| Champaign-Urbana | $50K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level teaching assistants, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $26K 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
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Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a teaching assistants, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 39.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for teaching assistants, postsecondaries in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new teaching assistants, postsecondaries typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,211/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay is 18% above the national median — $50K here vs. $43K nationally.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for teaching assistants, postsecondaries?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do teaching assistants, postsecondaries make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $50,450 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,850, and experienced teaching assistants, postsecondaries can clear $62,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,344/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 39.4% 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, postsecondary salary go in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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, postsecondary salary is worth about $55,016 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.