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Graduate assistant: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$42,910median pay per year, May 2025[1]
  1. $28,600lowest 10% earn less
  2. $35,27025th percentile
  3. $42,910median
  4. $60,51075th percentile
  5. $76,420top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[5]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[2]

Postsecondary teaching assistants, often called graduate assistants, had a median pay of $42,910 a year, which is below the $50,980 median for all occupations[1][2]. Jobs are projected to grow a little more slowly than the average for all jobs[3][4].

Job growth, 2025–35
+2.7%[3]
Openings per year
25,700[6]
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree[7]

How much do graduate assistants make?

BLS counts this group as Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary. The median wage was $42,910 a year in May 2025[1]. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The mean (average) was $47,670 a year[8]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[2], so the typical graduate assistant earned less than the typical US worker.

Pay varies a lot. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,600[5]. The lowest-paid 25% earned less than $35,270[5]. The highest-paid 25% earned more than $60,510, and the top 10% earned more than $76,420[5]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[9].

BLS publishes only annual wages for this job, not hourly wages. Many of these workers put in fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly[10]. These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[11].

Measure Annual wage Source
10th percentile[5] $28,600
25th percentile[5] $35,270
Median[1] $42,910
Mean[8] $47,670
75th percentile[5] $60,510
90th percentile[5] $76,420

Pay by state and city

Among the 44 states and DC with published data, Maryland had the highest median at $58,330, followed by Massachusetts at $56,370, Texas at $55,670 and New Jersey at $54,260[12]. Alabama was last at $22,600, with Arkansas at $23,140 and Nevada at $24,960 just above it[12].

California had the most jobs (19,120), followed by Michigan (18,440), New York (17,390), Texas (13,540) and Illinois (12,340)[13].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Canton-Massillon, OH had the highest median at $78,510[14]. Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT came next at $68,230, then Lubbock, TX at $64,160[14]. The metro area with the most jobs was Ann Arbor, MI, with 12,860 jobs and a median of $38,990[15].

Show median pay in 44 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
Maryland[12]$58,3305,030
Massachusetts$56,3703,040
Texas$55,67013,540
New Jersey$54,2603,390
Minnesota$53,380600
Utah$52,3002,020
Washington$50,4601,480
North Carolina$50,0502,900
North Dakota$49,96090
Oklahoma$49,9201,680
Virginia$49,8901,660
Arizona$49,8107,200
Kentucky$49,680990
Oregon$49,550880
Rhode Island$49,42050
California$49,14019,120
Georgia$48,8002,470
Ohio$48,7102,210
Vermont$48,62060
New Mexico$48,270370
Wisconsin$47,9904,210
Maine$47,21090
South Carolina$46,7602,730
New York$43,61017,390
District of Columbia$43,160130
Kansas$41,580640
South Dakota$39,840460
Michigan$39,83018,440
Nebraska$39,650730
Iowa$38,960560
Pennsylvania$38,0202,480
Louisiana$37,950440
Florida$37,7709,130
Colorado$37,450530
Idaho$37,310220
Tennessee$36,950300
Illinois$36,04012,340
West Virginia$35,96040
Alaska$35,79070
Indiana$34,9101,940
Montana$30,070380
New Hampshire$26,810480
Nevada$24,960540
Arkansas$23,1402,600
Alabama$22,600n/a

How to become a graduate assistant

The typical path, according to BLS, is short on steps:

In an O*NET survey of 33 workers, 57% said a bachelor's degree is required and 37% said a master's degree is[16]. That is a small survey, so treat it as a rough picture. Workers in this job report titles such as Graduate Teaching Assistant, Graduate Student Instructor and Research Assistant[17].

What graduate assistants do

They help faculty and other instructors with the teaching side of a course[18]. Tasks reported to O*NET include:

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 2.7% from 2025 to 2035[3]. That is from about 205,500 to 211,000 jobs, a gain of about 5,500[3]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same period[4]. These projection counts include self-employed workers[3]. OEWS counts about 164,090 wage and salary jobs in May 2025[20]. The two counts measure different things.

BLS expects about 25,700 openings a year on average from 2025 to 2035[6]. Openings include jobs that come open when people retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 5.5% of workers leave the labor force and 6.6% move to a different occupation[21].

Is it a good fit?

The facts describe a job that needs a bachelor's degree for entry and pays a median of $42,910, below the all-occupations median of $50,980[1][2][7]. Pay depends heavily on where you work, from a median of $58,330 in Maryland to $22,600 in Alabama[12]. Growth of 2.7% is a little under the 3.5% average, but about 25,700 openings a year come from turnover as well as growth[3][4][6]. The facts here do not cover hours, tuition or how long study takes, so check those with the schools you are considering.

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[22].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a graduate assistant make?
The median wage for postsecondary teaching assistants was $42,910 a year in May 2025, and the mean was $47,670[1][8].
What degree do you need to be a graduate assistant?
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical education needed for entry[7]. In an O*NET survey of 33 workers, 57% said a bachelor's degree is required and 37% said a master's[16].
What is the highest paying state for graduate assistants?
Maryland, with a median of $58,330 a year, followed by Massachusetts at $56,370[12].
Are graduate assistant jobs in demand?
BLS projects 2.7% growth from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations, and about 25,700 openings a year[3][4][6].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary in the US was $42,910 per year. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary is projected to grow 2.7% from 2025 to 2035, from about 205,500 to 211,000 jobs (a change of +5,500). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary: 10th percentile $28,600, 25th percentile $35,270, 75th percentile $60,510, 90th percentile $76,420. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 25,700 openings for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary was $47,670 per year. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS publishes only annual wages for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary, not hourly wages, because many work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Median annual wage for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary jobs: California 19,120; Michigan 18,440; New York 17,390; Texas 13,540; Illinois 12,340. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary (areas with at least 100 jobs): Canton-Massillon, OH $78,510; Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $68,230; Lubbock, TX $64,160; Merced, CA $63,220; Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $61,780; Flagstaff, AZ $61,730; Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $61,540; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $58,330. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary jobs: Ann Arbor, MI 12,860 (median $38,990); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 12,430 (median $45,100); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 8,860 (median $35,760); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,990 (median $39,940); Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 4,800 (median $61,780); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 4,450 (median $49,810). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. O*NET 25-9044.00 survey of workers (33 respondents), education level they say is required: Bachelor's Degree 57%, Master's Degree 37% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET 25-9044.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Graduate Assistant, Graduate Fellow, Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Student, Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), Research Assistant (RA), Teaching Assistant (TA). O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET description of Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET task list for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary. O*NET OnLine
  20. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 164,090 people were employed as Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  21. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary: 5.5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6.6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  22. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.