Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary Salary
In Pennsylvania, teaching assistants, postsecondaries earn $38,020 at the median. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $40,034 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 51.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $38K get you in Pennsylvania?
About teaching assistants, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Pay for teaching assistants, postsecondary in Pennsylvania runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 51.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for teaching assistants, postsecondarys.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level teaching assistants, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary salary by metro in Pennsylvania
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $40K | +5% | 80 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $39K | +1% | 2,020 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $38K | -1% | 40 |
| Pittsburgh | $37K | -2% | 550 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $31K | -19% | N/A |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a teaching assistants, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 51.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/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, postsecondaries in Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new teaching assistants, postsecondaries typically earn — is $21K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,264/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 107% 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 Pennsylvania?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $38K here vs. $43K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for teaching assistants, postsecondaries?
Pennsylvania pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do teaching assistants, postsecondaries make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $38,020 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,060, and experienced teaching assistants, postsecondaries can clear $60,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,618/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 51.6% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $40,034 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.