Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary Salary
In San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, teaching assistants, postsecondaries earn $45,110 at the median. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.42), so that salary is closer to $40,853 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,483/month, about 111.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $45K actually covers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara’s Regional Price Parity (110.42). 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
Teaching assistants, postsecondary pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $43K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,483/month, which is 112.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for teaching assistants, postsecondaries in metros near San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $40K | $35K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $62K | $58K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $45K | $40K |
| Fresno | $37K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Entry-level teaching assistants, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $35K 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 with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track teaching assistants, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a teaching assistants, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 112.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,483/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new teaching assistants, postsecondaries typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,639/month. At HUD’s $3,483/month FMR, rent would take 132% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $43K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compare to the national average for teaching assistants, postsecondaries?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do teaching assistants, postsecondaries make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The median is $45,110 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,740, and experienced teaching assistants, postsecondaries can clear $72,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,107/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,483/month, which eats 112.1% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has a Regional Price Parity of 110.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median teaching assistants, postsecondary salary is worth about $40,853 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.